mischer'traxler: till you stop automatic cake decorator

’till you stop’ cake decoration by mischer’traxler image © mischer’traxler

vienna has a long tradition of producing the finest cakes and desserts … now vienna-based studio mischer’traxler (katherina mischer and thomas traxler) has created an automatic cake decorator as part of their ongoing experimental series entitled, ’til you stop – how much is enough’. the cake decorator, which consists of a rotating platform, icing gun, a motor-run arm and a silver dragées spout, perpetually repeats one production step. as the cake rotates under the constantly moving frosting arm, a petal-like pattern of icing forms on the face of the cake. on the other side, tiny edible silver balls are dispensed at regular intervals.

cake decoration up-close image © mischer’traxler

designboom spotted this machine at this year’s vienna design week, the project is included in the exhibition eyes wide shut: design & crime at MAK design space (austrian museum of applied arts), vienna september 28 – november 14, 2010

‘eyes wide shut: design criminals’ is an exhibition curated by british architect sam jacob, organized as a collaborative project between MAK and departure. the show explores and investigates the potential of the ornamental and decorative.

’till you stop’ cake decoration by mischer’traxler image © mischer’traxler

the end-product will continuously change until the customer stops the process. the underlying concept of the project is a new kind of manufacturing method where the consumer’s decision to say ‘stop’ defines the design’s outcome.

’till you stop’ cake decoration by mischer’traxler at MAK museum vienna image © mischer’traxler

simple machine decorates the cake with lines and continuously decorates until the costumer/visitor decides to stop the decoration process. then in a second process sugar pearls/decoration are dropped onto the glazing. the decor is continuously changing and the costumer/visitor decides whether he prefers a simple ornament or a more complex one. when is the right time to stop?
 – once the decoration machine is stopped it can not be started again. the project reflects, on the one hand, the industry behind decoration (industrialized image vs. the romantic imagination) and on the other hand it should trigger people to think about the amount of decoration they actually like.

’till you stop’ cake decoration by mischer’traxler at MAK museum vienna image © mischer’traxler

here is the process: the automated cake decoration process (sugar glazing and sugar decoration) can be started and stopped by the buyer / visitor.

two steps of decoration: step one: the cake rotates and the sugar glazing gets applied in lines. the pattern is similar to the ones of  ‘spirographs’ which can be applied over a longer period of time. step two: the cake with glazing turns and single sugar pearls fall on the cake.

’till you stop’ cake decoration by mischer’traxler at MAK museum vienna image © mischer’traxler

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sketch of ’till you stop’ cake decoration by mischer’traxler image © mischer’traxler

other projects under the ’til you stop’ series include a printer which continuously prints and overprints the same pattern on a loop of paper, a wet clay-pot that is lightly punched and deformed by three devices, a plate which is constantly decorated by a drawing device, and a lampshade that gets drilled with more holes as time goes by. —

mischer’traxler were participants in designboom’s handled with care ceramic exhibition in london, 2007. their ceramic badges are available at our designboom shop.