mischer’traxler (AT)
Designing an encyclopedia of unique objects
July 3rd – July 9th 2016
The Workshop
Normally in an encyclopedia one finds out what a specific term means and the given description helps us to understand it. In our workshop this process will be reversed in order to create unusual objects.
What if we have to explain a specific term without knowing it and just use our phantasy to define an object? What if this explanation is then translated into a unique thing? Could a ‘pyrometer’ be a fireplace? And an ‘intrados’ a cup for two? And how would it really look like? A task that will trigger our imagination in order to get to unique results.
Through practical assignments and experiments, the participants will define and translate, make, test and explore. Directions to consider will vary from logic and meaningful solutions to poetic and lively proposals up to amusing absurdity.
At the end of the week there will be a collection of products, furniture, objects or even installations that form a surprising three-dimensional ‘encyclopedia’ of unique things. Let’s build something pulchritudious!
Workshop Categories
mischer’traxler Austria
Katharina Mischer, Thomas Traxler and their team form mischer‘traxler studio. Based in Vienna they develop and design products, furniture, installations and more, with a focus on experiments, context and conceptual thinking. Balancing between handcraft and technology, the studio envisions whole systems, new production methods and kinetic or interactive installations that question topics, tell stories or open up new ways of doing things. Projects by mischer’traxler are often playing with uniqueness and form poetic records of their own production or interact with the viewer and evoke unexpected reactions.
Their works have been displayed in numerous museums and at international festivals and fairs and are to be found in the permanent collections of the Art institute Chicago, the Vitra Design Museum and the MAK Vienna. Their projects have won several awards, while as a studio, mischer’traxler was honoured with the ‘Designer of the future award’ by Design Miami/Basel and W-hotels in 2011, in 2014 with the ‘Young talent award’ by the Be-open foundation and recently with the Swarovski Design Medal 2016 by Swarovski and the Vienna Design Week. Recently they co-curated and designed the permanent exhibition MAK Design Lab at the MAK Vienna, which opened in May 2019.
www.mischertraxler.com
