Luftwerk

SOS Color Code

Luftwerk is the Chicago-based artist team of Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero. In their public project SOS Color Code, the team collaborated with Normal design studio to create flags featuring Morse code that transform the international signal of distress (SOS - save our ship) into a sign of solidarity and connectedness. Morse code encodes sequences of text through dots and dashes (also called dits and dahs)[a]. The message SOS is translated as . This ambigram, a message that can be read from any perspective, has been used historically as a humanitarian plea for help, transmitted during a crisis and warranting a response regardless of conflict and differences. The dynamic color and graphic relationships explored in this series further encode the international distress signal with a new call in our contemporary environment. Will we answer the call?

SOS Color Code coincides with the 2024 presidential election and the International Day of Democracy, celebrated around the world on September 15th. The International Day of Democracy was passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007, with the aim of encouraging governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy. Learn how to register to vote, vote early and by mail in all 50 states at howto.vote

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by the Lacey Sadoff Foundation. In partnership with the Haggerty Museum of Art and Sculpture Milwaukee.

Luftwerk is the Chicago-based artist team of Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero. In their public project SOS Color Code, the team collaborated with Normal design studio to create flags featuring Morse code that transform the international signal of distress (SOS - save our ship) into a sign of solidarity and connectedness. Morse code encodes sequences of text through dots and dashes (also called dits and dahs)[a]. The message SOS is translated as . This ambigram, a message that can be read from any perspective, has been used historically as a humanitarian plea for help, transmitted during a crisis and warranting a response regardless of conflict and differences. The dynamic color and graphic relationships explored in this series further encode the international distress signal with a new call in our contemporary environment. Will we answer the call?

SOS Color Code coincides with the 2024 presidential election and the International Day of Democracy, celebrated around the world on September 15th. The International Day of Democracy was passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007, with the aim of encouraging governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy. Learn how to register to vote, vote early and by mail in all 50 states at howto.vote

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by the Lacey Sadoff Foundation. In partnership with the Haggerty Museum of Art and Sculpture Milwaukee.

Luftwerk is the Chicago-based artist team of Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero. In their public project SOS Color Code, the team collaborated with Normal design studio to create flags featuring Morse code that transform the international signal of distress (SOS - save our ship) into a sign of solidarity and connectedness. Morse code encodes sequences of text through dots and dashes (also called dits and dahs)[a]. The message SOS is translated as . This ambigram, a message that can be read from any perspective, has been used historically as a humanitarian plea for help, transmitted during a crisis and warranting a response regardless of conflict and differences. The dynamic color and graphic relationships explored in this series further encode the international distress signal with a new call in our contemporary environment. Will we answer the call?

SOS Color Code coincides with the 2024 presidential election and the International Day of Democracy, celebrated around the world on September 15th. The International Day of Democracy was passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007, with the aim of encouraging governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy. Learn how to register to vote, vote early and by mail in all 50 states at howto.vote

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by the Lacey Sadoff Foundation. In partnership with the Haggerty Museum of Art and Sculpture Milwaukee.

Luftwerk

Luftwerk

SOS Color Code

Exhibition

Exhibition

Materials & Dimensions

Materials & Dimensions

Mixed media

Dimensions variable

Year

Year

2024

Site

Site

Haggerty Musuem of Art

Credits

Credits

Courtesy of Petra Bachmaier, Sean Gallero, and Normal design studio.

Kim MIller

Social Choreography: Perceived at a Distance

Kim MIller

Social Choreography: Perceived at a Distance

Kim MIller

Social Choreography: Perceived at a Distance

Kim Miller

Social Choreography: Doing To Believe

Kim Miller

Social Choreography: Doing To Believe

Kim Miller

Social Choreography: Doing To Believe

Kim Miller

Social Choreography: Can I Hold Something?

Kim Miller

Social Choreography: Can I Hold Something?

Kim Miller

Social Choreography: Can I Hold Something?

thank you

To our generous sponsors, partners, collaborators, and supporters who make our work possible.

presenting

Founding & Sustaining
Sponsors

* indicates both Founding and sustaining founding sponsor

Anonymous
Donna & Donald Baumgartner*
Black Box Fund
Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation
Susan & Mark Irgens*
Mellowes Family*
Sue & Bud Selig*
Julie & David Uihlein*

sculpture

Wayne & Lori Morgan

Visionary

George & Karen Oliver

Exhibition Partner

leader

Anonymous
Baird Center
Heil Family Foundation
Godfrey & Kahn

Collaborator

Betty Arndt
City of Milwaukee Arts Board
Kelli Gabel & Craig Karmazin
GRAEF
Guardian Fine Art Services
Hawks Landscaping
Mark Jungers
New Land Enterprises
Raymond & Barbara Krueger
ManpowerGroup
National Endowment for the Arts
Nonprofit Management Fund
Austin Ramirez
Syslogic Inc
Wisconsin Arts Board

Connector

BMO
Foley & Lardner
Imagine MKE
MajicPro
Milwaukee Magazine
Open Pantry
PNC Bank
PwC
Russ Darrow Group
Town Bank
US Bank
WeycoGroup
Woman's Club of Wisconsin Foundation

Sculpture Milwaukee is always free and open to the public thanks to our generous supporters.

We work with trusted community partners to ensure great contemporary art is accessible to all.

Sign up to receive news about our exhibitions and artworks, announcements, events and more

© 2025 Sculpture Milwaukee

thank you

To our generous sponsors, partners, collaborators, and supporters who make our work possible.

presenting

Founding & Sustaining
Sponsors

* indicates both Founding and sustaining founding sponsor

Anonymous
Donna & Donald Baumgartner*
Black Box Fund
Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation
Susan & Mark Irgens*
Mellowes Family*
Sue & Bud Selig*
Julie & David Uihlein*

sculpture

Wayne & Lori Morgan

Visionary

George & Karen Oliver

Exhibition Partner

leader

Anonymous
Baird Center
Heil Family Foundation
Godfrey & Kahn

Collaborator

Betty Arndt
City of Milwaukee Arts Board
Kelli Gabel & Craig Karmazin
GRAEF
Guardian Fine Art Services
Hawks Landscaping
Mark Jungers
New Land Enterprises
Raymond & Barbara Krueger
ManpowerGroup
National Endowment for the Arts
Nonprofit Management Fund
Austin Ramirez
Syslogic Inc
Wisconsin Arts Board

Connector

BMO
Foley & Lardner
Imagine MKE
MajicPro
Milwaukee Magazine
Open Pantry
PNC Bank
PwC
Russ Darrow Group
Town Bank
US Bank
WeycoGroup
Woman's Club of Wisconsin Foundation

Sculpture Milwaukee is always free and open to the public thanks to our generous supporters.

We work with trusted community partners to ensure great contemporary art is accessible to all.

Sign up to receive news about our exhibitions and artworks, announcements, events and more

© 2025 Sculpture Milwaukee

thank you

To our generous sponsors, partners, collaborators, and supporters who make our work possible.

presenting

Founding & Sustaining
Sponsors

* indicates both Founding and sustaining founding sponsor

Anonymous
Donna & Donald Baumgartner*
Black Box Fund
Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation
Susan & Mark Irgens*
Mellowes Family*
Sue & Bud Selig*
Julie & David Uihlein*

sculpture

Wayne & Lori Morgan

Visionary

George & Karen Oliver

Exhibition Partner

leader

Anonymous
Baird Center
Heil Family Foundation
Godfrey & Kahn

Collaborator

Betty Arndt
City of Milwaukee Arts Board
Kelli Gabel & Craig Karmazin
GRAEF
Guardian Fine Art Services
Hawks Landscaping
Mark Jungers
New Land Enterprises
Raymond & Barbara Krueger
ManpowerGroup
National Endowment for the Arts
Nonprofit Management Fund
Austin Ramirez
Syslogic Inc
Wisconsin Arts Board

Connector

BMO
Foley & Lardner
Imagine MKE
MajicPro
Milwaukee Magazine
Open Pantry
PNC Bank
PwC
Russ Darrow Group
Town Bank
US Bank
WeycoGroup
Woman's Club of Wisconsin Foundation

Sculpture Milwaukee is always free and open to the public thanks to our generous supporters.

We work with trusted community partners to ensure great contemporary art is accessible to all.

Sign up to receive news about our exhibitions and artworks, announcements, events and more

© 2025 Sculpture Milwaukee