Gaby
Digital designer Markus Birn has created a series of household appliances that pay homage to the works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí.
The artist worked with artificial intelligence — specifically Midjourney, the popular neural network that generates images from text prompts. Midjourney has repeatedly shown it can make ordinary objects look extraordinary.
This vibrant collection of devices, seemingly born under Gaudí’s spell, blurs the line between everyday items and art.
The intricate designs of the architect served as the series’ inspiration. It feels as if Gaudí himself lent his touch to these household appliances, whose aesthetics often go unnoticed.
A Time for Reimagined Simplicity
Birn has reshaped how we imagine everyday technology. Hairdryers, kettles, mixers, irons, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, and coffee makers take on entirely unexpected forms.
These pieces, created by Birn in collaboration with AI, borrow elements of neo-Gothic and modern styles that recall Gaudí’s work. Their whimsical silhouettes, colorful patterns, and elegant lines are woven through each design. Playfully echoing the architect, Birn experimented with textured surfaces that look like tree bark or cave formations. Sadly, the fantastical appliances shown on Designboom exist only in digital form for now.
Birn points out that we live in an era dominated by Apple and Tesla, where minimalist design rules. Maybe it’s time to return to colorful buildings topped with mosaic tiles and stained glass — and to look differently at the simple objects around us.
The results can be astonishing. These household appliances subtly shed their everyday function and become works of art.
