Carlo Kurth

intersections — adjustable grid system of stainless steel sleeves

dust — lamp with stone dust coating shaping the light

sensitive surface — liquid-filled table registering vibrations

humidity — stone stool held together by expanding wood

wave chamber — liquid-filled glass pane with shifting color gradients

shining marble — marble slabs illuminated from within

cloud chamber — illuminated fog inside a glass volume

spinning staircase — staircase set into rotation by walking

impulse — lamp generating its own light through physical interaction

overview

Selected works 2018 – 2025

Objects between product design, experiment and physical investigation. Each project translates an observed phenomenon — weight, moisture, light, motion — into an object that makes it directly tangible.

intersections

2025

Thin-walled stainless steel sleeves are connected at their intersection points to form an adjustable grid system. Demonstrated as a bench, the structure can be reconfigured through repetition and connection. The project operates between object and spatial structure, proposing a system that defines use and space through configuration.

dust

2022

Dust is a series of lamps that uses stone dust to influence light quality. A coating made from the dust of different stones is applied to glass tubes, creating unique internal structures. Each material affects translucency and color temperature differently, translating geological origin into atmospheric light.

sensitive surface

2020

The table is filled with liquid and reacts to vibrations caused by use. Movements, touches or environmental influences translate into visible wave patterns on its surface. Outside, wind generates natural waves, allowing the table to register both human interaction and its surroundings.

humidity

2020

Stone slabs are held together by dried wood logs that slowly absorb moisture from the air. Over time, the expanding wood creates a stable connection without exerting destructive force. The stool relies on gradual material behavior rather than mechanical fixation, making time an active structural component.

wave chamber

2020

A glass pane functions as a sealed chamber that can be filled with liquid. When rolled, waves and color gradients emerge within the plate and continuously transform. The chamber can be emptied and refilled, allowing new tones and states to be mixed and explored.

shining marble

2020

Thin marble slabs are illuminated from within, revealing veins, layers and subtle color variations. In daylight the stone appears calm and restrained, while in darkness it emits a soft glow. The project exposes the internal dynamics of the material, holding a geological process in a static object.

cloud chamber

2020

Fog is introduced into an enclosed glass volume and illuminated to form a constantly shifting interior landscape. Detached from its surroundings, the cloud responds to light and heat radiation. The chamber becomes a stage for transient forms that appear, dissolve and reconfigure continuously.

turning rocks

2019

The stones appear massive and immobile, yet can be set into rotation with ease. By shifting their point of contact above the center of gravity, stability and movement coexist. The project challenges expectations of weight and balance, revealing how minor structural changes alter perception and interaction.

spinning staircase

2019

The staircase rotates in response to the act of walking. By climbing it, the user drives its movement and remains spatially almost in place. The familiar typology of a staircase is transformed into a responsive system, in which use, motion and structure are inseparably linked.

impulse

2018

Impulse is a lamp that generates its own light through physical interaction. The energy required to produce a spark becomes directly perceptible, framing light as the result of effort rather than a given resource. Reflected on a mirror surface, the light is allowed to expand and linger.

About

Carlo Kurth is a German product designer whose practice explores the relationship between material, physical behavior and use. His work is driven by close observation of natural and technical processes and by the question of how these forces can be made tangible through objects.

Rather than illustrating phenomena, Kurth integrates them directly into the structure of his designs. Materials respond, shift, expand or transmit energy, allowing function and meaning to emerge through interaction. Objects often appear restrained and minimal, while their logic unfolds only in use.

His practice moves between unique pieces, small series and applied contexts, operating at the intersection of product, system and space.

Exhibitions

2021 — Outer space, with Anima Ona, Galerie Kernweine, Stuttgart
2020 — Places to be, with Anima Ona, fondation d’entreprise Martell, Cognac
2020 — Memento Mori, BdK, Schloss Favourite, Ludwigsburg
2020 — Junge Möbelschau, Books Deux concept store, Stuttgart
2019 — Designparade #14, Villa Noailles, Hyères

About

Exhibitions

2021 — Outer space, Galerie Kernweine, Stuttgart
2020 — Places to be, fondation Martell, Cognac
2020 — Memento Mori, Schloss Favourite, Ludwigsburg
2019 — Designparade #14, Villa Noailles, Hyères