Dezeen Magazine

COS and Snarkitecture reveal snaking marble run for Seoul gallery

The latest collaboration between fashion brand COS and New York studio Snarkitecture sees a lilac-hued marble run suspended from the ceiling of the Gana Art Gallery in Seoul, South Korea.

The installation titled Loop is made up of four metal tracks, which snake through an all-white exhibition space.

Every five seconds, a glass marble travels across one of the tracks, before passing through into an adjoining room where it is dropped onto a pile of thousands of other marbles – described by the designers as a "scattered sea".

Snarkitecture, made up of artists Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen, intends the gentle noise of the marbles travelling through the room to create a calming space for visitors.

"Our intention was to create a contemplative environment with Loop – a space that was not immediately understood upon entering," said Snarkitecture co-founder Daniel Arsham.

"While we wanted the design to be playful, we were mindful of creating a work that provided an escape. It was important to offer a setting and feeling that were completely new and inspiring to visitors," he continued.

Loop is open to the public from 8 to 19 November 2017. For the duration of its opening, a small-scale model of the installation will also be available to view at the COS store in Cheongdam.

The project marks the third time that the artist duo has worked with COS, having previously designed an installation for the brand in Milan and a pink-hued pop-up store in LA. It is also the first time Snarkitecture has worked in the South Korean capital.

"In conceiving this project, our third with COS, we wanted to offer visitors an experience that combines the values and sensibility of the brand with our perspective and approach," said Mustonen.

"It is a legacy we are developing together and we hope the project offers visitors an interactive and memorable experience."

COS, which stands for Collection of Style, launched in 2007. Over the years, the brand has partnered with several designers, most recently collaborating with Studio Swine on an installation for Milan design week that blew out mist-filled bubbles and working alongside Dutch designer Olivier van Herpt on a set of six vases 3D-printed from clay.

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