Let's start with the basics, which we are all interested in: how did you come up with the idea of designing the luminaire?

AW: I worked for stopmotion animation and film props for a long time. Pic-a-stic is stopmotion: I wanted to capture that moment of play when you throw the Mikado sticks and they fall apart.

When you started designing the luminaire, where did you envision it?

AW: The luminaire fits over tables and over bar counters in restaurants or dining tables in private rooms. Unlike real Mikado sticks, which easily fall apart when you pull one out, the sticks of the pic-a-stic luminaire are held in place by the rubber.

The different colour combinations ensure that not every table looks the same. In addition, the rods can be placed differently, either crosswise or parallel, which creates different light-shadow effects. A uniform overall picture looks good, but you can also deliberately create chaos.

The lamp is currently available in two different colour sets, one version with black and white sticks and a second version with blue, orange and red sticks. How and why did you choose these colours?

AW: I chose black and white so that the luminaire wouldn't look too wild and so that it would fit into more living environments; for example, Scandinavian, simple designs, simple, clear shapes that become visible through black and white.

I designed the colourful version to make it wilder. Since it should still be a luminaire and not an object, we limited ourselves to three colours for the colourful version.

The elements "poetry, playfulness or humour and technology" are often associated with Ingo Maurer luminaires. How does pic-a-stic fit into this definition?

AW: With everything. Playful, because you can do so much with the luminaire. The origin is a or a pause of play. Poetry is shown in how the light breaks the rods, how you can change it. pic-a-stic fits into the Ingo Maurer collection because for the poetry and humour of the luminaire: "There is art in simplicity".

The play of light and shadow is an important component in all Ingo Maurer luminaires. What is the special light-and-shadow play in the pic-a-stic?

AW: If you look into the luminaire from above and below, uniform patterns are created - like a mandala. One should not get tired of looking at the luminaire, so the light and luminaire character can be changed depending on the room or interior design simply by plugging it in.

You are no stranger to the company Ingo Maurer, you even knew Ingo personally. When did you have your first encounter?

AW: About 15 years ago, when I was working on many projects for film and television (props and models for Babelsberg and Hollywood) because of my carpentry training, I came to Ingo Maurer through a friend. So I worked on the production of Comic Explosion or Mickey's Manifesto, among others.

My workshop was on the way from Kaiserstraße to Ingo's flat, where we often met. Working with a variety of materials is what makes my workshop; that's what Ingo liked. We spent many hours there tinkering. Ingo often had drawings that were difficult to interpret and needed explanations. Nevertheless, Ingo knew exactly what he wanted and how. Ingo was a wacky guy, that's why it's so special for me that the Ingo Maurer company is now bringing out my lamp.

How did the story continue? How did you come to pic-a-stic?

AW: The first design of pic-a-stic came about in 2017 after I had played Mikado with my children. I wanted to capture the moment when the Mikado sticks fall apart. In 2021, I presented the luminaire to the Ingo Maurer team.

What does the future hold for pic-a-stic?

AW: Endless possibilities, e.g. for special projects.

The name says it all. Another personal question: what do you associate with the game Mikado or pic-a-stic?

AW: With arguments with my grandpa. He could "cheat" everyone at the game, no one wanted to play with him anymore. It went so far that my grandma didn't have all the sticks left, because they broke them in anger (laughs).

Then as now, I think everyone should know the game. It is a social game where people come together.