Our passion for physical phenomena and experimentation is what animates us. Our relentless thirst for invention is what connects us. And our desire to work creatively alongside one another is what excites us.
Who we are
Effektschmiede is a Cologne-based art collective, a manufacture of experiences, and a laboratory, all in one. Effektschmiede works with natural phenomena and develops installations for science centres, museums, gardens, parks, and public spaces.
As an experience factory, our work is about inspiring astonishment and inviting people to dream. It plays with fire and water, light and mist, voltage and energy. All installations correspond with the highest technical standards, are tailor-made for the space or room and all are individually planned and conceived by Judith Mann and her team.
What unites us: the fun of experimenting, the intellectual challenge of thinking through complex processes, playful interaction with natural phenomena, creative tinkering and composition, and the pleasure in skilled manual work.
Judith Mann
Architect (Dipl.-Ing.) and Pyrotechnician, Founder and CEO of Effektschmiede, in charge of creative concept and design.
Johanna Mann
johanna.mann@effektschmiede.de
Trained as a Retail Salesperson, Assistant to CEO and in charge of personnel, accounts, and logistics.
Andreas Korth
andreas.korth@effektschmiede.de
Special effects supervisor for film, TV and events, supplier of theatre equipment, technical director and responsible for the production of exhibits and special effects.
Conrad Keuck
conrad.keuck@effektschmiede.de
Mechatronic technician for agricultural and construction machinery, lighting technician for TV and film locations, responsible for the construction of exhibits, high voltage and electronic engineering.
How we work
Our goal is to astound and amaze adults and children and awaken their curiosity about scientific knowledge through experiments and discovery. We stage spectacular illusions to offer new perspectives and sensory experiences.
Our customers appreciate the high quality of our works and our capacity for complex and solution-orientated thinking. We do not supply mass-produced goods, but timeless and long-lasting, made-to-measure solutions. Because we are a small team, we are nimble and can change our direction of thought at any time. With particularly tricky problems we may occasionally be stretched to our limits, in which case we call on experts from outside.
For us, every commission is a welcome challenge. Our team puzzles out all of the projects together. To begin with, we set off a small explosion of ideas and forge a firm plan. Then everyone carries on with the work in their own area of expertise, until the next team meeting takes place. We are each in deep concentration when we work and we have a love for detail. During the planning phases, it’s often as quiet as a mouse in our workshop. When we try out our exhibits, it can become a lot louder, however. The entire process is carried out in consultation with the client and demands our full commitment.
What we treasure most
When we create mystical mise-en-scènes with fog, visitors often say, “Oh, that’s beautiful, just like a scene from a dream!” People stop, pause, and look, they relax, enjoy themselves, and they marvel; in short, they are moved.