Biodiversity art from Perrier-JouëtINTERVIEW

Biodiversity art from Perrier-Jouët

Perrier-Jouët, a Champagne House founded in 1811, and a designer duo Mischer’Traxler, formed by Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler, have teamed up to exhibit a piece on the theme of biodiversity for DESIGNART TOKYO 2021. We asked the designers about their thoughts on this interactive piece expressing the interdependencies between humans and nature.

 

Interview and article by Kanae Hasegawa

 

Mischer’Traxler is a designer duo based in Vienna, Austria. Curiosity Cloud Mobile, which will be exhibited at DESIGNART 2021, features around 30 glass containers attached to the ends of branch-like structures, each containing a metal fabricated insect which flies and produces sound when it senses a viewer. A variety of insects are represented in the installation, including the urania sloanus, which went extinct in the late 19th century, and the common brimstone, which exists in fields and gardens across the globe.

 

 

On the intention behind collaborating with Perrier-Jouët, a brand symbolized by an Art Nouveau-style illustration of an anemone, Katharina Mischer says the following:

“We see plant and insect motifs in Art Nouveau furniture from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. With rapid coal-powered industrialization in Europe came widespread air pollution. Designers like Émile Gallé and Louis Majorelle probably wanted to restore our connection with nature by incorporating small, overlooked creatures in their furniture designs. In our piece, we aimed to use modern technology to create a new take on their expression.”

 

 

This attitude is also reflected in I am Nature, another piece being exhibited by Mischer’Traxler. It consists of a watercolor painting of countless life forms such as butterflies, caterpillars, and worms within the silhouette of the Perrier-Jouët brand’s iconic anemone flower, and an interactive mural in which the silhouette of a plant or insect appears when a viewer approaches.

 

 

Crops are pollinated by butterflies and bees, and get nutrients from microorganisms in the soil. This artwork reminds us that we are part of the food chain, and that we are also part of nature.

 

 

“I wanted to eliminate the biological hierarchy in which humans are on top, and let viewers feel the symbiosis between humans and nature. Modern research has revealed that various microorganisms and mycelium communicate with each other in the soil to maintain balance in the ecosystem. I want people to realize that it’s not about which species is dominant, but about mutual support,” explains Thomas Traxler. “Those involved in making champagne have a close relationship with nature, beginning with creating the soil from which the grape grows. Since the glass and metal materials that designers work with are originally found in nature, so we can say that designers are also living in harmony with nature and have a mutual relationship in the same way. ” Depicting a wide variety of flora and fauna as the same size, regardless of their true physical scale, is intended as a celebration of biodiversity.

 

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2013 gift box collaborating by Mischer’Traxler, was created with respect to “Biodiversity” which is necessary for the terroir of Maison Perrier-Jouët.

Please click below for the beautiful movie:

 

 

DESIGNART TOKYO 2021 special webpage:

https://www.perrier-jouet.com/ja-jp/pj×designart-tokyo-2021

mischer’traxler

Katharina Mischer (born 1982) and Thomas Traxler (born 1981) established mischer’traxler studio in 2009.

Based in Vienna, the exceptional designer duo develops and creates numerous products, furniture, and kinetic art, all of which are mixture of artistry and the latest technologies. Inspired by conceptualism and experimental practices, their work questions the current status of the art world, and explores the essence of emotion, environment, and philosophy behind the creation of outstanding design, for which they have received a number of awards.

Their work is in permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Vitra Design Museum, and the MAK (Austrian Museum of Applied Arts), Vienna. They have exhibited at events and exhibitions worldwide, including Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Design Museum London, the Triennale Milano, CAFA Art Museum in Beijing, and MUDAC (Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts) in Lausanne.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2013 Gift Box by Mischer’Traxler

Perrier-Jouët has been deepening its connection with art with respect to nature and life through daily life in the vineyard. The beautiful world of tiny insects created in response to this desire is also featured in the design for the new limited-edition Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2013 gift box, which was just released in August 2021, and will be available for limited time. Take a sip of the terroir of paradise and enjoy Mischer’Traxler’s lush sensibility as expressed through watercolor.

27,830 JPY tax included

 

You can find out more about the collaboration between Perrier-Jouët and Mischer’Traxler on Perrier-Jouët official website.

https://www.perrier-jouet.com/ja-jp/news/pj-mischertraxler-giftbox-collection