Bruno Gérard Toussaint, Werkstatt für Ökonomie & Kunst, Berlin

About us

Bruno Toussaint was a participant in the exhibition: “Lacquer Art Asia and Europe 2002”, Museum of East Asian Art, Cologne, as Lacquer Artist of the Year 2002. Education: FH-Cologne, 1977 – 1982, glass painting / free art, exhibitions including room-filling glass-ice installations based on the painting “The Arctic Sea” by C.D. Friedrich, at Z33 – Museum for Contemporary Art, Hasselt/ Belgium. In the 90s already first experiences with lacquers and processes for the photo-exposure of mirror silver. Now he is looking for partners for the further development of light-conducting 3-D glass lacquers with certification on SME/EU funding and research by the basic research center Innovent e. V. in Jena. On this basis, traditional techniques of “decorative glass and under-glass painting” with lacquers and metal coating (coating of silver and of gold leaf on glass) up to modern reflection art with colored design mirrors are to be redeveloped.

What we offer

Innovation for flat glass/lacquer industry – new colours for glass/mirrors/metals and especially for highly reflective surfaces and design/art applications – SME-/ EU-promotion for colours/glass.

With this SME-/EU-funded innovation offer, I’m looking for partners from the glass and paint industry who are interested in creating a significantly value-added design/art profile for their product lines. At the same time, the technology of a reflection-enhancing and “spatially” arranged layered composite of coatings/ plastics and glass/mirrors/metals is suitable for applications such as building illumination, light redirection and generally reflective displays/images.

The traditional methodology of silver coating (DE Ermax or in USA https://angelgilding.com) and with gold leaf is gaining more and more followers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WxnI7r5C4 . With this offer to develop new types of light-conducting 3D glass and design lacquers, there will be a significant expansion for flat glass design. Traditional craft designs will be more combined with reflection-based designs, forming a new branch within the glass industry.

This would be interesting for glass companies, which can work together with partners from the coatings industry (vice versa) to produce the necessary novel 3D glass and 3D design lacquers with optical coupling and adhesion to glass and metals simultaneously and with reflection enhancement.

The profile of light-conductive 3D lacquer systems:
Light-conductive 3D lacquers are configured as a double system or as a lacquer layer lens with depth optics and directional reflection, which shows significant influence on the reflective behavior of lacquers. At the same time increased optical connectivity to glass/mirrors and (also rough) metals is shown.

Specification of 3D lacquers in terms of application to optical textures:
3D lacquer systems focus/bundle the light on all kinds of optical textures →
Application for laser engraving as optical embossing hologram in silver layers: https://www.ifnano.de Application for reprographic/laser exposed silver layers on mirrors, other surfaces. Application for depth optical highlighting/colour definition of other micro/macro structures. All clear materials, especially glass/ mirrors, become light-conductors, all opaque materials become reflectors.

Applications from the perspective of the glass industry:
In the sign industry, interior-, marine-, city-design (arcades, airports, train stations, etc.), building illumination with design reflectors, to trade fair construction/ furniture, glass and other surfaces can be designed harmoniously in same colour scheme + reflection. At the same time the optical behavior of digital coloured light worlds from the computer can be transferred to the analogue world.

Funding for SME-EU companies:
Some development and research work is required, therefore more suitable for larger companies, smaller companies can implement this with suitable partners. For the required developments and for the desired cooperation partner there exist a funding certification from the Research Centre of Innovent e. V. Jena, funding according to ZIM 04/2020, max. 2.5 Mill. € + own contribution.

Film from the development: https://vimeo.com/103330344 Password is: Lichtleitender3-DLack

Information from publication in 2020:
https://www.gebaeudehuelle.net/fenster-glas/fenster-glas-fachartikel/hochreflektierende-glasoberflaechen And further: https://www.gebaeudehuelle.net/pdf?file=pdfgetFile24175