December 10, 2009 at 8:58 am

The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

by twistedsifter

 

To22 created something nearly perfect. A continuous ring, delicately proportioned, beautifully polished and seemingly flawless.

 

the universe ring by to22 The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

There is only one tiny imperfection. A speck, no larger than a piece of dust. At a glance, it is barely noticeable. Upon close examination, it appears intentional and more clearly defined.

the universe in your hand ring to22 design studio The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

Only magnification reveals the actual object set within the miniature interior.

the world in your hand universe ring two 22 design The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

It is a model of the known universe. Inspired by the writing of Stephen Hawking and loosely based on the anthropic theory to22 puts our daily pursuits into perspective and reminds us that we are always a part of something bigger. [Source]

mini universe ring silver 222 design studio The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

Now you may be asking yourself; how does that little vortex-looking spiral thingie represent the Universe? Refer to the diagram below for a timeline of the Big Bang and the creation of our Universe. If you believe that sort of thing…

the big bang and creation of the universe The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

 

The Collaboration Kings

 
To22 is a joint design collaborative with the aim of provoking new ways of thinking. To22 is more interested in contributing inspiration and awareness than in creating new objects. Exploring a world of ideas and creating without hesitation, To22 is here to remind us that something wonderful can happen at any moment.

Designer Todd Bracher lives and works in London; designer/filmmaker Efe Buluc resides in Istanbul; and designer Mark Goetz is based in New York City. The three meet only a couple of times a year in person and exchange the majority of their ideas via the Internet.

Contact: (212) 989-7607
info@to22.net

 

 

to22 design collaborative The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

 

 

the to22 design team The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

 

 

todd bracher efe buluc and mark goetz The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

 

 

check out their site for more projects and design concepts. I’ve highlighted my favourites below. Incredible work!

 

PROJECT: FILL

 

martini glass with olive stopper to22 design The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

 

To make a martini you will need a glass, gin, some dry vermouth, and, of course, an olive. While designing their unique martini glass, to22 decided to give greater importance to the olive. “The olive has become the signature element of a martini and, yet, it is treated almost as an afterthought.” The form simply developed from two conical elements with a hole in the middle. “ At first, we want to present an elegant, symmetrical object which has no bottom or top. It only becomes a glass when you plug the hole with an olive. Now, all of the sudden, this little green item becomes very important. After all, it is the olive that permits you to fill your glass.”

 

double martini glass with olive bottom to22 designs The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

 

 

PROJECT: UNBROKEN

 

broken centerpiece plate put back together to22 design The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

We have all broken something by accident. For most of us, the pieces go right into the trash. But to22 saw broken pottery as a great design opportunity. “Most people see broken objects such as dishes as useless. Instead we saw that something wonderful was revealed. It’s about a second life- and what better way to have these qualities noticed than by placing them right out in the open, in the middle of your life? Your dining table is the place where you converse, the place where you share and this design was created to be the centerpiece.”

 

centerpiece plate made of broken plates to22 designs The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter highly recommends:

 

 

crab nebula nasa The Entire Universe in the Palm of your Hand