At Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, renowned designer Sabine Marcelis unveils an immersive exploration of light, color, and material interplay in her debut museum exhibition, “Light and Color.” The display, running from October 30, 2026, to April 4, 2027, captivates visitors with a presentation at the Toni-Areal venue that intertwines various installations, including Mathmos lava lamps and a walk-through IKEA light tunnel, showcasing Marcelis’s innovative techniques with glass, resin, and stone.
Exhibition Highlight: Mathmos Lava Lamps Reach New Heights
In an innovative collaboration with British manufacturer Mathmos, Marcelis’s “Mathmos Lava Columns” offer an awe-inspiring spectacle. Towering at 2.56 meters, eight lava columns stand elegantly in a mirrored room, creating an illusion of infinite pastel pink movement. “I always wanted to design a giant lava lamp,” Marcelis reveals, highlighting her ambition realized through this unique installation.
The lava lamps’ colorful dance, set against frosted glass bottles and white aluminum structures, captivates viewers by contrasting motion with serene surroundings. This collaboration, harnessing Mathmos’s expertise from their Poole, Dorset, factory, bridges art and manufacturing, bringing Marcelis’s vision to life through the Bubblegum-themed edition of the Astro lamp, slated for a November release.
IKEA’s VARMBLIXT Transforms with Mirror Magic
Marcelis reinvents IKEA’s familiar designs with her architectural flair in the VARMBLIXT collection here. An array of 125 ring-shaped lamps and a gradient mirror wall coalesce into an eleven-meter-long light tunnel, offering an immersive experience that elevates mass-produced items into a rhythmic, dynamic environment.
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This creative intervention not only redefines the space but accentuates the recurring circle motif, making everyday designs extraordinary. The tunnel, much like the Mathmos columns, invites interaction, challenging perceptions of scale and space through innovative use of mirrors and light installations.
Emulating Nature with Sunbeam Captured
Designed with Boris Acket, the “Sunbeam Captured” installation captures the ephemeral beauty of sunlight interacting with water. Mechanically generated ripples and a moving light create vibrant reflections, enhanced by a gradient mirror shifting hues from blue to orange, mirroring natural light changes.
This exhibition segment, alongside Marcelis’s other works, underscores the pivotal role of time and motion in transforming static objects into dynamic, ever-evolving experiences. Visitors are not just passive observers but active participants in a constantly shifting visual dialogue, much like other art exhibitions, making time as integral as color and light.
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Throughout “Light and Color,” Sabine Marcelis artfully melds familiar objects with unfamiliar transformations at this captivating event, inviting audiences to rediscover the beauty and complexity of light through an artistically illuminated lens.
Source: designboom.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the theme of Sabine Marcelis’s exhibition in Zurich?
The theme of Sabine Marcelis’s exhibition, ‘Light and Color,’ is an immersive exploration of light, color, and material interplay. It features installations that showcase innovative techniques with glass, resin, and stone.
How tall are the Mathmos Lava Columns at the exhibition?
The Mathmos Lava Columns at the exhibition stand at a towering height of 2.56 meters. They are elegantly placed in a mirrored room to create an illusion of infinite pastel pink movement.
What collaboration is featured in the ‘Mathmos Lava Columns’ installation?
The ‘Mathmos Lava Columns’ installation is a collaboration with the British manufacturer Mathmos. It combines Marcelis’s vision with Mathmos’s expertise, featuring towering lava columns in a mirrored room.
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