Retro Gondola Is a Giant Gumball Vending Machine

There is a golden rule when it comes to skiing: "A day on the slopes starts with a ride to the top!" Inadvertently, the whole point of skiing is to let gravity do its job. So whether you opt for a straight downhill course, some off-piste powder or even those bumpy moguls, you will need to hop on a gondola or cable car to get to the top!

It is exactly one of those charming cable cars that became part of an art installation for Design Miami Basel in 2013. In an attempt to radically change the purpose of the gondola, young art student Baker Wardlaw transformed it into a giant gumball machine!

The gumball machine was displayed alongside other cable car artifacts at the Verbier Mountain Climbers exhibition. The idea was to get decommissioned gondola cabins from Verbier into the hands of some of Switzerland's most talented artists.

Ultimately, seven retro art cabins were auctioned off, raising a total of 140'000 francs for charity.

(Photographs 1-3 copyright by Annik Wetter, outdoor photograph copyright by Verbier Mountain Climbers)