Studio maep
Hello
Voyager!
Wildhood Festival 2026
We are Studio Maep, a creative duo with backgrounds in cinematography, spatial design, engineering, architecture, art and animation. We playfully explore ways to engage kids both big and small in the wonders of STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics).
Our first venture is Orbital 6000, a commission by Wildwood Festival for their space themed event of 2026. What we have created is an awe inspiring sculpture that is visually enticing - sparking participants curiosity and inviting them to get a closer look.
It is a rocket shaped, pedal powered kinetic interactive sculpture made of old bike frames and using bike inner tubes as belts. It has a zoetrope in the centre that is activated by pedals that children move with their hands whilst sitting on bike saddles. Three wheels higher up are activated by a motor powered by children who pedal with their hands whilst sitting on bike saddles. The top of the rocket spins around, also activated in the same way.
As children explore the sculpture (exciting as they are allowed to touch all of it!) they discover that by moving certain parts, others are activated and start moving. It has been wonderful to see the children’s delight as they understand how it works.
“My two year old son has really enjoyed the Pedal Rocket! He has been really fascinated seeing the zoetrope animation inside the main carousel and is loving the flames coming out of the bottom. My husband is equally enjoying it! We have spent a lot of time on it over the two days we have been here.”
2yr KY16
Curious souls will be able to turn cranks and watch this machine come alive. Using age old animation techniques of zoetropes we invite folk to learn about animation, movement and light.
The structure is made from salvaged bike frames from the Bike Station and the mechanics are all bike inspired thus tapping into the Curriculum of Excellence an its focus on sustainability in terms of energy usage and reuse of materials.
It is an exciting way for kids to learn about mechanics, physics and movement in a very creative way. They will also discover the fascinating world of animation and moving images on a really approachable scale.
The sculpture helps children discover STEAM subjects such as:
mechanics
physics
animation
movement
energy sustainability
reuse materials
Who we are:
Anne-Laure Carruth
Anne-Laure, an artist with a background in architecture and spatial design, draws inspiration from nature, plants, and remote landscapes. Through her work, she explores her place on Earth and her connection to the living world, with a current focus on collective liberation and rewilding through creative practice and herbalism.
Ruan Suess
Ruan has always had an interest in mechanical things, he spent the first part of his life dismantling anything he could to figure out how it worked. Ruan started with his sights set on a career in film and tv as a director of photography, while working in animation he started doing side work in industrial equipment repair (couldn't let go of the urge to figure out how everything works) here he learned new skills. This led to a craving for a new artistic outlet and a desire to combine these new skills with the photography skills.
Get in touch on the contacts page for a chat!
We are open to all ideas re collaborations and funding for larger artworks. We’re so excited about our future projects in the pipe line - watch this space…
