Augenrucksack
— Ex Luce et Fumo —
— Ex Luce et Fumo —
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,
or in the eye of the backpack.
V0
The beginning of everything.
An ordinary daypack from Asia, gifted with a few LED panels for eyes. The spark that set everything in motion — every Augenrucksack after this one builds on this idea.
V2
V1 was never finished. V2 is where the real series began.
V1 was never really thought through — it was simply unsuitable for what it was meant to become. V2 is where the series truly started. He's the only one built from day one without arms, and the only one with four bottle holders instead of two — the most spacious of the collection.
Glass lenses in front of the eyes instead of exposed displays give him a high-quality mechanical look. At Halloween, V2 gets green claws via clip-on mechanisms — and with that, a presence no other backpack in the series has.
In the wild
V3
A messenger bag that looks back.
The only fabric bag in the series — every other Augenrucksack is fully 3D-printed. V3 is a messenger bag where the concept of 3D printing and electronics was extended onto real textile.
V4
The shape-shifter.
With V4, the hat and arms can be exchanged — so the look adapts to any setting. Behind it lies something remarkable: two large LED displays for the eyes, a multi-colour perimeter LED frame, a fog nozzle for the nose, and a small projector that casts the logo onto the floor behind him. V4 is the first one to truly stage the light.
V5
The mighty one.
V5 is the largest of the series, a real powerhouse: round LED eyes, single-colour perimeter LED lighting, and two bottle holders. Equipped with animatronics in the right arm and an original 80s-era flash bulb in the left hand. Overall, a heavy, massive presence. If you wear V5 to a festival, you hear the conversation before you see the face.
V6
Two that belong together. From here on, everything comes in pairs.
From V6 onwards, the Augenrucksäcke come in pairs: two large LED panels per Twin, two bottle holders, fog nozzles on the noses and the well-known projector. Hat, nose and hands can be swapped on each Twin; the LED lighting is weatherproof for use in any weather. When both Twins walk together, half the park turns to look.
V8 · Two prototypes
Gybrush (green) and Elaine (blue) — the beginning of what's still to come.
V8 is the newest Augenrucksack and the prototype from which everything else will grow. 35 centimetres high, an LED display that shows the eyes, a fully custom circuit board, and an ambient-light sensor that automatically adjusts the display:
In daytime mode, only the colourful perimeter LED lighting and the eyes run — projector, bottle and hat lighting are off. In daylight they'd barely be visible anyway, so V8 saves its energy for the evening.
In night mode, the perimeter and the eyes dim so they don't glare. Instead, the bottle holders light up, the projector casts the logo onto the floor, and the text on the hat glows.
As with V6, there are two versions of V8: Gybrush (green, shown above) and Elaine (blue). With both, the hat, hands and nose can be freely exchanged.
New every week
At Europa-Park, at festivals, at other theme parks — almost every week I'm out there with the backpacks. I usually post identically on Instagram and TikTok — occasionally on just one channel. Both are worth following.
What you'll see there: location shots, encounters, on-the-road videos with fog, projector and animated eyes. Less often, but just as gladly: impressions from the workshop — when I design, print or assemble new pieces.
Where can I buy an Augenrucksack?
Unfortunately, nowhere.
Every time I'm out with the backpacks, it makes me incredibly happy how much attention, curiosity and positive feedback they receive — especially when I'm out with them at Europa-Park. Every question about a shop or a price is, to me, a huge compliment for the work that went into the pieces.
But there's a catch for anyone about to reach for their wallet: the Augenrucksäcke are not a commercial product — they are a pure art-and-heart project.
Every piece is one-of-a-kind: from the first idea through days of 3D printing to installing the displays and wiring everything up, every model takes months of handwork.
For my own use only: I develop and build these backpacks exclusively for myself, to bring my own ideas in the field of tech-art to life.
Who knows what the future holds? I'm constantly tinkering with new ideas. If my apartment should one day burst at the seams because there are simply too many Augenrucksäcke standing around and I'm running out of space, I might one day have to reluctantly part with one model or another. If that Day X comes, you'll definitely find out first through my social media channels. If you want to follow the evolution of the backpacks, or never miss your chance at a one-off piece, follow me on Instagram and TikTok.