Commissions
Kinetic installations,
designed and fabricated in London.
DFFF takes commissions. We design and build custom art installations — kinetic sculpture, machines, spatial experiences — for brands, galleries, retail spaces and the public realm, and we carry out art fabrication for artists and institutions who need a concept engineered into a working, exhibitable object. A commission runs through the same hands as our own work: one studio carrying structural design, electronics, fabrication and installation from first sketch to a machine performing in space.
Capabilities / 03
Custom kinetic installations
The studio's own territory: suspended machines of aluminium, steel, light and code, built to perform for a crowd. We take on custom kinetic art installations for dark rooms, stages, dancefloors and public space — from mechanical choreography to installations driven by live data. Blackbox is the evidence: a suspended kinetic system on a steel frame with interchangeable mechanisms, designed to be dismantled, shipped and reassembled — staged in Beijing and London, then rebuilt in 2026 for 'ARCH', where it performed as part of the line-up.
See Blackbox →Commissioned fabrication for artists & institutions
The artist keeps authorship; the studio makes the work exist. Working from concept sketches or visual references, DFFF carries commissioned fabrication from start to finish — structural design, electronic development, fabrication and final assembly. Knitting Echoes began as drawings by Toronto-based artist Ailin Dong; we translated them into a buildable structure, developed the electronics and motion system, fabricated and assembled the finished sculpture, and the completed work travelled to Canada for exhibition at Stantec Window Gallery, Toronto.
See Knitting Echoes →Kinetic window & pop-up installations
A machine behind glass performs to the street — no ticket, no threshold to cross. We take on kinetic window and pop-up installations for retail spaces and the public realm: self-contained works scaled to a window or a temporary site, made to hold attention through glass. The proof to date is one window: Knitting Echoes ran at Stantec Window Gallery, Toronto — street-facing, performing to passers-by rather than to a room.
See Knitting Echoes →Process / 06
- 01Concept — A commission starts with whatever exists: a sketch, a reference, a space, a sentence. Together we define what the machine is and what it does.
- 02R&D — We prototype the risky part first — mechanisms, materials, motion, software — so the unknowns are resolved in tests before anything is committed to finished metal.
- 03Technical design — The work becomes engineering: structure, mechanics, electronics and control software, designed for the venue, for transport, and for hanging safely over people.
- 04Fabrication — CNC cutting, machining, wiring, programming, assembly. The machine is built and run in the studio, so what arrives on site is a working piece, not a kit of parts.
- 05Install — We ship, rig and run the work on site ourselves, working with the venue on rigging, power and safety until the machine performs as intended.
- 06Support — Machines are built to be maintained, dismantled and re-staged — and can be adapted or rebuilt for new spaces when a work moves on.
FAQ / 06
How long does a commission take?
It depends on scale and complexity. A window piece and a suspended machine for a hall are different undertakings, and R&D-heavy works need longer than those built on proven mechanisms. We scope the timeline honestly in the first conversation and flag long-lead items — custom parts, venue approvals — early.
How do you approach budget?
As a design constraint, from the start. A machine is engineered to its budget the way it is engineered to its space; a real range early lets us design the right work rather than trim the wrong one later. Budget belongs in the first conversation, not at the end.
Can a work tour or be re-staged?
Yes — we build for it. Blackbox hangs from a steel frame carrying interchangeable mechanisms, so it can be dismantled, shipped and reassembled for each space it enters; it has been staged in Beijing and London and rebuilt for a new context. Commissions can be designed the same way when re-staging is part of the brief.
What does a venue need to provide?
It varies with the work, and we keep it concrete. Suspended pieces need structurally sound rigging points; every machine needs reliable power; some works want darkness or control over ambient light. We survey the space — in person or from drawings — and give the venue a clear, specific list of requirements before fabrication begins.
Do you deliver internationally?
Yes. The studio is based in London and works internationally: our machines have been staged in Beijing and London, and a commissioned sculpture travelled to Canada for exhibition in Toronto. Works are designed for transport from the outset — dismantlable, packable, rebuildable — and we install on site.
Is everything built in-house?
Yes — that is the studio. Structural design, mechanical and electronic engineering, control software, fabrication and final assembly are carried out by DFFF from start to finish. One workshop holding the whole chain means nothing is lost between disciplines: the person who drew the mechanism is in the room when it first moves.