SUNDEW

 

Swarovski Designers of the Future Award Commission

Elaine Yan Ling Ng for Swarovski

Design Miami/ Basel

 

Sundew, is inspired by the movements of the tiny carnivorous Sundew plant as it pulls its tentacles over an insect, digesting it. The responsive, twisting, lantern-like shapes of the Sundew are constructed from a variety of light, flexible materials, including Ng’s own non-woven textiles fused with Swarovski Crystal Fabric. “After visiting Wattens I now regard crystal as an ingredient for making new materials, textures and surfaces, and for this project it’s exciting to be combining craft and technology to explore new functions” she explains. Alongside weaving and material innovations, the commission also sees Ng adapt bio structures from nature into interactive elements. The booth is diffused with a narrative of two scents, the first entitled Entice which represents the sweet allure of the Sundew for the insects and the second, The Kill, which has rich animalic undertones evoking the capture and kill.