.
Instant Design
Instant Design’s second act is up tonight at the Triennale DesignCafé. Exploring, like its first edition, the outer limits of function and materials, this second edition is “an investigation of the theme of ephemeral and transient design as an act of consumption.” And quite an investigation it is, featuring some of the most intriguing pieces of functional design in recent memory. Far too often product design outside the realm of the purely practical defaults to preciousness and flash to lend itself meaning, but a newfound vigour driven probably by a greater general knowledge of materials, a reawakening of design education and pressing social imperative has sparked a mini-revolution in which, at long last, polymers, metals and woods are only part of a designer’s material consideration. Today, the awareness, flexibility and inventiveness with which materials are being used by the best designers – nowhere more evident than in the work here – is downright inspiring.
On display will be pieces from Icelandic designer Hafsteinn Juliusson’s Growing Jewellry line (which I’ve been dying to see since it started making the rounds in the designosphere last year), Makoto Azuma’s delightfully Japanese flower robot implant, Sinwei RhodaYen’s biomorphic “Mushrooms Ate My Furniture” collection (live mushrooms are an integral part of it) and the prosthetic ear jewel “Earshell” by Kawamura and Ganjavian. Other highlights include off-the-wall materials combinations and hybrids of schools of thought, such as Lucia Sammarco Pennetier’s rationalist sculpture hats, the morphing “RGB” upholstery manufactured by Carnovsky, the olfactory “Bloom” jewellery of Rafaella Mangiarotti and several other treats.
Curated by the always ahead of the curve PS • Design Consultants, with design by Armando Bruno and Studio Blanco, Instant Design is not to be missed. Opening at 6:30 tonight at Triennale DesignCafé, and running until the 3rd of April.
