luminous retro swings by ENESS invite us to ponder the mysteries of life

thinking about the mysteries of life mid-swing

melbourne-based art and technology studio ENESS introduces its latest installation named ‘I believe’. the project takes shape as an arrangement of three light-emitting swings, adorned with retro spaceships — a reference to the 60s when aliens, spacecraft, and interstellar exploration inspired naive optimism. with this interactive public art piece, the firm encourages the public to set their sights on the cosmos, the big questions, the mysteries of life, and the positive potential of the future.

‘I believe’ swings sitting pretty by the brisbane river

all images courtesy of ENESS

luminous ‘I believe’ installation beams messages to the universe

the ‘I believe’ installation invites visitors into a glowing scene to swing in-between the beams of mysterious UFO radiance and – in the spirit of purposeful play – to pose a question about their place in the universe. participants are encouraged to open their minds to their higher purpose as the familiar motion of swinging takes hold. sensors in the structure animate the lights along the UFO beams, metaphorically beaming messages, out to the broader universe.

according to nimrod weis, artist and founder of ENESS (find more here), the swings are a statement about believing in things bigger than ourselves – whatever that may be: the cosmic; the inexplicable; the spiritual; the innate and incalculable power of our inner selves.

‘welcome the mind benders’

a playground staple from a different perspective

in addition, the artist believes that investing the humble swing with a message, elevates our understanding of this well-known playground staple. ‘swings are particularly potent places – we all remember what it felt like as a child to swing on a swing – wishing we could launch ourselves into the sky and fly. this favorite feeling from childhood has also been scientifically proven to calm the nervous system and the artist is deliberately riffing on this; bringing joy back into the lives of all ages – add some UFOs and you have a recipe for glee.’ he shares.

not only does the ENESS studio collective apply this perception-altering technique to their installations but they also like to change perceptions about the public realm by purposefully creating work that dramatically alters familiar places. these outcomes are alive to the moment and although gone tomorrow, stay in the hearts and minds of ENESS audiences due to their unique take on the limitless possibilities of public realm.

set your sights on the cosmos on the ENESS ‘ I believe’ swings

project info:

name: ‘I believe’ swings
design studio ENESS – nimrod weis

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom