For Schloss Hollenegg Groovido has redesigned a traditional object which is part of the castle iconography: the treasure chest. Its strong visual identity is recurrent in many narratives being always represented as a heavily locked container of the most precious things, such as jewels, coins, and secret documents.

By researching its aesthetic, the studio observed that the treasure chest has substantially changed its form when designed for video games. In its digital version, in fact, the traditional shape, often in oak wood and iron-bound, has been transformed taking on a more contemporary look, with the name of loot box. In this new context, the chests are meant to be opened.

In fact, their design has to catch the attention of the players, attracting them with their bright colors and creative shapes.

Drawing inspiration from their aesthetic, Groovido has worked on a new ornamental object for the contemporary living space. Their cyber chest, made of glass and steel, is a vitrine that allows the exploration of its treasures. They experimented with ceramic printing on glass. The duo repurposed this process currently used in the automotive sector to reach the same high standards in material properties and finishings. Thanks to this technique the printed pigment merges forever with the float glass once it’s tempered. On one hand the type of glass used ensures perfect transparency and homogeneity of thickness over the entire surface, allowing the windows to be flash with the metal frame. On the other hand the prints, through their magical portal-like texture, function as mask to hide the connection system and shift the focus from the box to its content.

Location: Schloss Hollenegg, Hollenegg 1, 8530 Hollenegg, Austria

Date: 06-28 May 2023

Curation: Alice Stori and Dr. Rainald Franz

Exhibition: Ashes & Sand

Photo: GROOVIDO