Float Lens Shadow By Yoy

YOY presented three new works at the 2015 Milan Design Week, each exploring optical illusion and perceptual surprise through everyday objects. The first piece, titled Float, is a lamp that appears to float in mid-air. Inside the lampshade, a mechanism with two motors and LED lights moves in irregular motion. The lamp is fixed to the wall with a rod behind it. As the LED moves, the entire room seems to shift slightly, creating an unsettling sense of motion that plays with the viewer's spatial perception. The second work, Lens, is a mirror that appears as though part of it has been magnified. The mirror frame's upper-right circular section is enlarged, creating the visual effect of a magnifying glass held in front of the mirror. This simple intervention transforms a functional object into a philosophical inquiry about perception and reality. The third piece is a vase-shaped lamp that, when turned on, casts a shadow that is itself the light source. Light and shadow are mutually exchanged, producing a strange inversion that challenges conventional assumptions about illumination. To project the shadow's form onto the floor and walls, the vase contains LED lights and has a shadow-shaped hollow cross-section at its back. These three works demonstrate YOY's signature approach of using familiar domestic objects and optical illusions to create unexpected perceptual experiences, challenging viewers' assumptions about everyday design objects. The studio's work sits at the intersection of product design, art, and perceptual psychology, inviting visitors to question what they see and reconsider the ordinary.