“we are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it’s forever.” –carl sagan

a month ago, on display in honor of the london design festival, was one of the most intricate pieces the v&a museum has ever seen. the exhibition curiosity cloud by mishler-traxler for the small discoveries series for perrier-jouët focused its attention on presenting insects in a live manner. the goal was to allow the viewer to focus more on the atmosphere, experiencing the essence of the space and engaging the viewer’s mind in the room’s beauty.

the piece aimed to “celebrate a moment in nature and the relationship that humans have with the entomological world."
inspired by the concept of museum preservation, curiosity cloud concentrates on the preservation of 25 represented insect species placed in glasses. the insects, varying from extinct, common and newly discovered are positioned into 250 hand-blown crystal glasses created by renowned viennese glass company, lobmeyr.

each artificial, hand fabricated insect has been printed onto foil, laser cut and hand embroidered to create its form. the figure is then connected with a small string to a motor and small light source that sits inside each bulb. due to the shape of the glass, the mechanical insects are provided with enough space at the bottom of the bulb to easily move around and appear as though they are flying.

the idea behind the design appears when the bulbs begin to be approached. sensors within the glass detect movement and thus begin the movement of the insects. upon initially entering the room, the piece is remarked as peaceful and calming, with no movement, yet once the life behind the glass is detected, the piece becomes a sort of imaginary playground for the viewer, with insects fluttering all around.

 

after the festival, curiosity cloud will relocate to perrier-jouët's maison museum in champagne in france to sit alongside it's art nouveau furniture pieces. there, the piece will continue to excite and awe many more.