Elastique. GmbH

With offices in Cologne, Berlin and Munich, Elastique. unites a feel for complex topics, a high affinity for technology, and an interdisciplinary way of working with a boundless curiosity for everything that lies beyond supposed boundaries. “We have dedicated ourselves to staging brands and their innovations. We are fascinated by telling topics in new ways and creating unseen images in the process,” say the creatives. The constant change of perspective is just as important to them as the realisation of works with character. This applies to customised implementations for renowned clients as well as to independent projects, which are pursued with the same meticulousness and perfection. “Mirror Me” is another impressive masterpiece in their portfolio. Agency founder and creative director Andreas Schimmelpfennig initiated this kinetic installation, which offers visitors a fascinating experience and allows them to become a part of it at the same time. Two cobots move mirrored surfaces, creating endless visual echoes of perception. With four movement sequences and matching soundscapes, “Mirror Me” becomes a hyper-charged echo chamber of the self. At the visitors' request, this experience could be automatically recorded in a video and immediately shared by them on their own social media channels. This completes the installation and continues the endless spiral of self-centredness.

Interview with Elastique. GmbH

Red Dot: Cobots were used in the fascinating “Mirror Me” installation. What was the initial spark for this free project?
Elastique. GmbH: We had already realised a robotic installation for Mitsubishi Electric a few years ago, so the technology wasn’t new to us. Robotics has always seemed magical to me in a way. We work a lot with interactive installations and immersive experiences, and we combined all of this in “Mirror Me”.

The technical side is one thing. Can you tell us something about the thematic component?
People really only revolve around themselves: they take selfies, upload photos of themselves somewhere, etc. I wanted to use this phenomenon to create a production that acts like an echo chamber of the self – a thorough elevation of ourselves. Neither critical nor in favour of it, but from an observational perspective.

Visitors stand between moving mirrors and see themselves countless times. They thus complete the installation …
Yes, at the vernissage, visitors actually queued for up to 50 minutes to enter “Mirror Me”. We also set up three cameras to film the visitors in the installation if they wished. On leaving, everyone was given a QR code and could immediately post the video of themselves online. That was very exciting – it’s about self-centredness, which is apparently so attractive and appealing that you want to share it immediately afterwards … an endless spiral. However, it was in no way about ridiculing the visitors, but simply about the fascination and the observation that self-portrayal is so important to us.

The location also played an important role, didn’t it?
Yes, that was a real stroke of luck. St Gertrude’s Church was the perfect backdrop for “Mirror Me”, thanks to its architecture, the exciting incidence of light, and the sharp slats in the brickwork. For example, a fine mist was needed to make the rays of light visible. Normally, fire alarms react to this, but fortunately they were not present in this concrete building.