Their ‘Fragile Future’ series has received many awards in various parts of the world, including the International Design Prize (IDA) by the German Design Council in 2008.
Composed of tiny dandelion seeds inserted into a powerful alloy of tin and copper, the wall lamps are brought to light thanks to light-emitting diodes. The seed’s elongated shapes and spiral formations are united together helping to diffuse the LED’s energy into a soft halo of light. The delicate light they emit conjures up a feeling of fragility, which is in stark contrast to the perfectly geometric structure that surrounds them.
Warm, fragile and short-lived, the flowers and their lights stand out from the cold, sturdy and durable core grid. A marriage of nature and technology, the pieces embody the striking difference between the two whilst provoking many important questions.
Here, it is evident that technology and science both clearly serve nature. In an interview with Vernissage TV Lonneke Gordijn said, ‘The natural component into an electric system gives an image of a futuristic perspective of how nature has to survive with the help of electronics’. This is precisely what the two designers have wanted to emphasize with their work; to question nature’s future and crucially the relationship between humans and their natural environment.
Carpenters Workshop Gallery, London
3 Albemarle Street, W1S Mayfair. Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Contact info: 020 3051 5939
2 Michael Road, SW62AD Chelsea. By appointment only. Contact info: 020 3051 5938
