YASUTOKI KARIYA
As an exception to the function-retaining rule of our trend, this final lighting fixture probably isn’t particularly useful. In fact, the ephemerality of these lights can only hinder the reading process, but the spectacle trumps the impracticality. Yasutoki Kariya, a student at Tokyo’s Musashino Art University, re-interpreted Newton’s Cradle, the classic desktop fixture second only to the paperweight, as a kinetic installation. Illuminating Isaac Newton’s energy transfer theories, Kariya replaced the steel pendulums with pendant lamps. As the ends swing (powered by pistons), they create the illusion that light is traveling from bulb to bulb. In reality, the lights are actually just smartly timed — but knowing the secret doesn’t detract from its hypnotic effect.
