Dandelion Sculpture Gives Banknotes a Brilliant Second Life

Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) has won the Intergraf Design Award 2026 for 'Dandelion', a light sculpture made from unfit banknote material. Its fan-shaped elements are crafted from paper produced with fibres recovered through G+D's Banknote Fiber Extraction (BFE®) technology. Instead of being discarded, banknotes at the end of their useful life become the raw material for something new.

The Dandelion sculpture is more than a source of light. Its fan elements are magnetically attached and can be detached and used as handheld fans. In this way, says G+D, it appeases rising temperatures and prompts reflection on climate change. Inspired by Danish functionalism, where design, function and material go hand in hand, G+D developed the sculpture together with design partners Mutabor and Albrecht-Q.