THE CHALLENGE
A fully sustainable production of light, giving an analogical escape from electricity and the digital world. Approaching our planet by being actively and respectfully part of it. Designing a lamp that invites us to experience a moment of harmony and connection by contemplating time through a living light, in the dark.
THE SOLUTION
A sculptural blow glass time-lamp that uses bioluminescence as a light source. We Are Not In This Alone converges the fluid of the sea, with the hot fluid of the glass, which results in a transparent unique shape, creating a strong and delicate bond between the content and the container. It is a powerful contemplative tool that allows us to experience the beauty of nature through a unique encounter between biology, technology, and craftsmanship. There is no Light without motion. There is no Time without Light. Through the specific designed shape of the glass, we control the movement and design time.
THE IDEA
The project started as a research on the sustainable ways of producing light. We wanted to investigate the boundaries of sustainability within the domain of lighting, so we started to study the so-called sustainable lamps and bulbs and soon we realized that there is not real sustainability in the use of LED or solar batteries. The environmental impact of anything we do as designers is unquestionable.
THE BIRTH OF THE PROJECT
We wanted to explore a natural way of producing light, a real sustainable source and we rediscovered bioluminescence as a natural light phenomenon. By studying the phenomenon, we learnt that there is no emission of light without movement, and movement means time. So, we understood the deep bond between time, nature and light. There is no light without motion and there is no time without light and as a consequence, our lamp then had to be a time-lamp!
THE CREATIVE PROCESS
The main challenge was to find a way to analogically induce the movement without the use of any engine or electrical pump, which is why we came up with the idea of using gravity to generate the motion needed for our algae to shine. By doing this, we also define a strong bond between the microorganism, the light and the humans.
THE COLLABORATION
Thanks to the help of worth we established a successful collaboration with Arcam glass. We worked together on the design details and different production techniques to give the algae the best possible shelter that could - on one hand, protect them and guarantee the best living conditions and on the other one induce their movement and defining the time. Building together a multidisciplinary team has been not only of a big value for us but also quite challenging. We got to learn how to design with the glassblowing process and all its complexity resulting in a beautiful glass sculpture that protects, contains and allows our lamp to shine.
THE FUTURE
We Are Not In This Alone is part of an ongoing research project that sees bioluminescence as an alternative light source and how it can be incorporated in our future daily lives. With the help of WORTH the project is ready to be experienced and tested as a first step of the ongoing development. In the future, We can imagine incorporating new forms of bioluminescence to the study as well as new shapes of lighting objects to be part of a family of lamps that could become more and more accessible.
THE MESSAGE
This project is our reminder that we are not alone on this Planet and that we are part of a chain, which we need to protect. It's our tribute to our Planet and celebration of nature, reminding us that life on demand as we know it, is no longer sustainable and that a change must come. We encourage collaborative work as a principle, both between species as humans and between professionals as designers. The strength and the value of this project lies on the respect of nature, materials and other professionals. The shape and light resulting in our design is a consequence of this approach based on mutual respect and care.
