Weight and see: Machine draws lots of attention

Milan – In the Mindcraft11 exhibition, as curator Cecilie Manz told LS:N Global yesterday, one creation stood out for ‘the quality and diversity of Danish design’ and its ability to make audiences stop and stare, and wait and see what it would produce.

There is something mesmerising about watching the Drawingmachine, as it draws ever-changing ellipses on rolls of paper.

Conceived and hand-built by designer Eske Rex out of wood, metal, vinyl, paper, ballpoint pen and concrete weights, the Drawingmachine is powered by its two counterbalances, almost like a complex, 3D metronome.

‘I love the way it smells of linseed oil,’ says Manz, ‘and its sense of minimalism. It shows every working piece in the machine. If you took anything away, you can see how it wouldn’t work any more.’

LS:N Global will be reporting in more detail about Mindcraft11, and other highlights from the Milan design fair 2011 throughout the week.