Design consultancy office AUTHOS and Swiss multidisciplinary Interactive Designer Stella Speziali have collaborated to create a unique spatial intervention at the Zurich Design Biennale 2021. Titled NEBULOSUS, the installation uses mist and augmented reality as an immersive and intangible 'structure' that changes the spatial boundary of Zurich's botanical garden and creates and explorative experience for visitors.
The mist flows over 50 square-meters of the garden's lush vegetation, relying on each's moments environmental conditions to define its boundaries and appearance. Throughout the day, the installation appears as soft clouds of vapor in constant motion. During the night however, the mist is transformed into a digital spectacle, with the help of project mapping, creating a matrix of shaded lines, angles, and dazzling shapes that correspond to visitors’ movements.
Beyond its mystical presence, the unpredictability of NEBOLOSUS highlights the importance of climate change and controlling the environment. The pavilion is open to visitors until the 5th of September free of charge, with a special augmented reality display on the 4th of September.
The third edition of the Zurich Design Biennale explores the theme of "CLASH", answering questions such as "are analogue and digital in conflict? What creative potential lies in cultural differences? How do expectations and reality meet? And at what point does the natural become artificial?" The exhibition is running from August 12th until September 5th in Zurich's botanical garden, and features installations by local artists and designers.
The Design Biennale was initiated by the Verein Freundeskreis Design Association, with the purpose of highlighting Swiss design to stimulate critical debates and to identify new issues of conflict between culture and economics, strengthening the cultural relevance of design.
