MoMA Design Store Windows: littleBits by Ayah Bdeir

“Electronics are beautiful,” says engineer and artist Ayah Bdeir. Through May 12, the windows of the MoMA Design Stores in New York City will feature hypnotic, delightful kinetic sculptures crafted with Ms. Bdeir’s littleBits—tiny circuit boards that snap together with magnets to inspire invention and problem-solving.

Slideshow

Engineer and artist Ayah Bdeir challenged Labour, a creative office and workshop, to craft kinetic sculptures for the MoMA Design Stores in New York City. Labour could use only her littleBits, tiny circuit boards that snap together with magnets, and no other hardware or robotics. A partner at Labour prepares an installation in the Midtown windows. Photo courtesy littleBits.

Brooklyn-based creative office and workshop Labour were challenged to only use littleBits and other craft materials like wood, cardboard, and acrylic. littleBits users have crafted talking puppets, flickering lanterns, and drawing robots. The relationship with the Museum of Modern Art began in 2011—curators Paola Antonelli and Kate Carmody acquired an untitled work of Ms. Bdeir’s made of printed circuit board, analog components, and magnets and included it in “Talk to Me,” a design exhibition which explored objects that establish an emotional, sensual, or intellectual connection with their users. In the exhibition catalogue, they wrote: “like Legos, which allow anyone to understand how to build structures without a complex engineering education, littleBits make a complex process intuitive.” littleBits has also launched “Make Something Big” for enthusiasts.

Also, don't miss these two sweet little videos documenting the team's process of designing and engineering a 4 foot robotic sharked powered solely by littleBits!

Ladles Not Labels

Fed up with men's fashion, Rachel Wythe-Moran and Simon Watkins of East London's Labour and Wait cooked up a plan to align their creative instincts and passion for practical design.
Speak-er Desktop Speakers

Desktop speakers aren't known for their high aesthetic factor; luckily, designers like music, too, and are working to jazz up the littles boxes of sound.
Interview with Luca Nichetto

With the Stockholm Furniture Fair and Design Week on, we caught up with one part-time resident of the Swedish capital whose designs seem to be popping up everywhere at once.
Ron Arad: No Discipline Preview

Israeli-born British designer and architect Ron Arad has made a name for himself pushing the boundaries of forms and materials, so it comes at no surprise that the installation devised for…
Dan Formosa of Smart Design

Dwell on Design speaker Dan Formosa is accustomed to swimming against the current.
Loud & Clear: The 2013 Emerging Voices

Last week the Architectural League of New York announced the winners of its annual Emerging Voices program.
Events this Weekend: 4.22-4.25

Tonight, celebrate Earth Day with a discussion of water management at the Museum of the City of New York and catch Quicktake and Contemplating the Void before they close at the Cooper-Hewitt,…
Wang Shu Wins 2012 Pritzker Prize

Wang Shu of Amateur Architecture Studio became the first Chinese architect to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture today.