Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler formed Studio mischer‘traxler. Based in Vienna they develop and design products, furniture, installations and more, with a focus on experiments, context and conceptual thinking.
By Valentina Mariani
Balancing between hand craft and technology, they envision whole systems, processes and new production methods that indicate sustainability and the relevance of nature. Part of their Design process is to examine, experiment, analyse and reject.
The biggest example is “Reversed Volumes”, a collection of bowls that are shaped by capturing the imprint of a fruit/vegetable. 
The space between a bowl and a fruit/vegetable is filled with casting material. Once dried, the filling material has adapted to the imprint of the container and represents the imprint of the different fruits/vegetables in a very detailed way. These imprints are replicated as food-safe and water proof resin objects. The bowls are hand-crafted in a semi industrial process and this method allows slight variations in color in order to achieve some variation within the series.
The ‘reversed volumes’ series include at the moment ten different bowls with the imprint of: apple, lemon, orange, cherimoya, pepper, aubergine, napa cabbage, sugar melon, cauliflower and cabbage.
‘reversed volumes’ was initially designed for FoodMarketo in 2010. Being developed further for serial production, it is now edited by PCM.
“Manufacturing processes, machines and production lines are an important design factor which often becomes a source of inspiration opening manifold possibilities. But a designer can also question the way things are produced, twist the function of a particular machine or develop own processes with unique outcomes”.
If you want to find out some more, or investigate in how food can embrace design, Boisbuchet’s workshop will be the best place to be, from June 30th to July 6th of 2013.
This workshop investigates the possibility of a local serial production directly at Boisbuchet. In the beginning, small groups will explore possibilities of using local materials and how they can be transformed within a few production steps. We are going to look at the potentials of the surroundings and experiment with various materials. Through practical research, trials and errors, the participants will analyze, harvest and use the immediate surrounding. The restriction of producing a similar piece several times will be our inspiration. After these discussions, brainstorming, fun and hands on experience we will combine and mix the starting points into one or two common “big“ production lines. Our goal is to have one little object of the same kind for each participant as a tangible souvenir of the week.
For any other info: http://www.boisbuchet.org/workshop-programs?id=280
