Frank Buchwald ML15 Helios

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the M.A.D.Gallery, Frank Buchwald has created the ML15 Helios, a spectacular light sculpture produced in a limited edition of just 15 pieces.

Frank Buchwald, a German artist and designer based in Berlin, has been part of the M.A.D.Gallery journey since its inception. His famous Machine Lights, entirely handcrafted, immediately captivated Maximilian Büsser with their retro-futuristic aesthetic, their complex construction, and their strange ability to breathe life into mechanics.

Fifteen years later, the ML15 Helios celebrates this relationship between the artist, MB&F, and the M.A.D.Gallery.

ML15 Helios: A Fusion of Machine, Sculpture, and Light

The name Helios immediately conveys Frank Buchwald’s intention: to imagine a mechanical sun—at once powerful, soothing, and precise.

The ML15 Helios is based on a three-legged architecture whose construction combines the precision of a technical instrument with a decidedly sculptural presence. As is often the case in Buchwald’s work, it becomes difficult to precisely define the nature of the object: is it a lamp, a machine, or a sculpture?

It is a little bit of all three at once.

At the center of the composition is a luminous spherical globe 120 mm in diameter, surrounded by an LED ring evoking a solar corona. Two transparent blue diffuser rings frame the sphere, giving it an intriguing appearance—somewhere between a mechanical eye and a scientific instrument.

The ML15 Helios seems to observe its surroundings just as much as it illuminates them.

A mechanical sculpture crafted entirely by hand

Frank Buchwald’s world is intimately connected to materials and manual craftsmanship. His creations first take shape on paper before coming to life in his Berlin studio.

Each component undergoes extensive craftsmanship. Even laser-cut parts are subsequently reworked and adjusted by hand. Material thickness, proportions, assemblies, and finishes are gradually refined until the desired balance is achieved.

The ML15 Helios thus combines stainless steel and brass elements, complemented by flexible metal tubes that protect the electrical cables.

Measuring 440 mm in height, 350 mm in width, 460 mm in depth, and weighing 9 kg, Helios has a truly commanding physical presence.

Frank Buchwald and M.A.D.Gallery: 15 Years of Shared History

Frank Buchwald was one of the first artists selected by Maximilian Büsser when the M.A.D.Gallery was founded in Geneva in 2011.

The gallery was conceived as a space to showcase MB&F’s Horological Machines alongside other forms of mechanical art. Buchwald’s creations—with their industrial aesthetic, science-fiction influences, and combination of steel and brass—fit naturally into this world.

The ML15 Helios now celebrates fifteen years of collaboration and a shared vision of independent creation: using mechanics as a means of artistic expression.

Produced in a limited run of just 15 pieces, this anniversary edition perfectly embodies the spirit of the M.A.D.Gallery: a functional object that transcends its purpose to become a true work of contemporary mechanical art.