Home fuse project

Swarovski challenged us to "reinvent" the chandelier for its "Crystal Palace" collection at Art Basel Miami, the pre-eminent bi-annual art-world gathering. We wanted to deconstruct what a chandelier is, and explore what it could be. Rather than just a static, traditional object to be viewed, we created Morpheus, a chandelier that changes its form, becoming animated through interaction and a digital interface. Most chandeliers are beautiful objects that the viewer gazes upon; Morpheus turns the viewer into a participant, inviting the viewer to interact with the object. The many permutations of the 10 foot diameter and 16,000 crystals Morpheus light sculpture are possible through the use of servo-motors and lead cables applying pressure to a flexible spring steel assembly. Six motors arranged in a star configuration are attached to six points on the perimeter that pull to create the shape of the chandelier. The chandelier is controlled by a remote tablet and custom made drawing software that triggers the magical transformation of the entire light. The viewer uses a hand held touch screen tablet to control the shapes and brightness of Morpheus, acting as a puppeteer for the chandelier.<<