As a reflection on the alpine sagas of the „Venedigermandln“ an intricate mechanical device was created to display and dramatically implode prince Rupert drops within a glass bubble.
In said sagas dwarfs are depicted as the keepers of the mountains secrets and treasures. Even though they are sharing their treasure with helpful locals, these sagas mostly end with the loss of the frail treasure.
Apparatus depicts this dilemma between owning this beautiful gem or loosing it completely by activating the device and thus destroying the energy laden droplet of glass.
A little known historic anecdote is that venetian treasure hunters of very small stature secretly swarmed throughout the alps to search and collect urgently needed minerals for the Doges precious glass production. The rare and mysterious encounters of the highly educated mineralogists with their strange language and devices with the local population are believed to be the root of not only the myth of the “Venedigermandl” but of the alpine dwarf sagas in general.
A Dunbar’s Number project
