new york NEW YORK
Flash:Light: 2011
Festival of Ideas for the New City
SOFTlab produced a hanging installation for the entrance to School Nite, an exhibition of site-specific installations, performances, and discussions. The installation was curated by Nuit Blanche New York as part of Flash:Light 2011 along with the Festival of Ideas for the New City sponsored by the New Museum. The installation was in the entrance of St. Patrick's Catholic School at the corner of Prince and Mott Streets in NYC.
Photos: Alan Tansey
The form was generated through a gravity driven process and then prepped for production. The surface contains more than 1400 battery powered LEDs. The piece was designed to light up the entrance for the night time event. The main formal expressions of the installation are the hanging pieces that flicker and blow in the wind, with the intention of slowing down traffic through experience and effect rather than typical barriers. Visitors are meant to co-mingle and interact with the piece, not unlike a clown fish and the sea anemone.
Materials: Mylar, Acrylic, LEDs, Conductive Thread, Lithium Batteries
Area: 270 sq.ft.
Date: May 7th, 2011
Design Team: Michael Szivos, Carrie McKnelly, Inessah Selditz, and Elliot White
Installation: Carrie Chang, Andrew Chen, Caitlin Duffy, Rich Ericson, Jeff Geisinger, Brandt Graves, Ayaka Hales, David Hecht, Genevieve Hoffman, Mike Kelberman, Simon Kristak, Matt Lake, Avery Max, Owen Nichols, Chris Niederer, Geetha Pedapati, Julia Schleppe, John Schlueter, Austin Smith, Chi Tam, Felisia Tandiono, Alan Tansey, and Joan Tom
SOFTlab is a design studio based in New York City founded in 2005. From the beginning the studio has embraced projects that are strange, difficult, blurry, and straddle multiple mediums. The constraints of each project are treated as opportunities that are tested through a collaborative studio environment with the hopes of solving typical problems in new ways, with new tools. Through the studio's unique blend of backgrounds as designers, artists, architects and educators we are able to approach every project from a fresh perspective to create rich spatial, graphic, interactive and visual experiences. By mixing research, creativity, experimentation, and technology with a strong desire to make working fun, SOFTlab attempts to create new and unique experiences.
In 2010 SOFTlab was awarded the New Practices New York award by the AIA Chapter of New York along with 7 other young studios. The studio has also produced a wide range of design projects and collaborated with various artists, designers, publications and institutions including MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Times, eVolo Magazine, Surface Magazine, Columbia University and Pratt Institute. The studio has also exhibited work in galleries throughout New York City.