23/04/2013

Designer’s Love For Food

It is widely known that design should concern all aspects of our lives. From the clothes we dress and the furniture we proudly furbish our houses with, to the less obvious examples like the interiors of plane cabins or medical equipment, nearly everything we touch has been designed by someone. The same goes for the food we eat, where by food we don’t only refer to the persuasive packaging that so many of the products we see on supermarket’s shelves have, but also to how the meals and the way we consume them have been cleverly designed.

Even though some designers have been dealing with food for quite some time now, in the recent months we have seen the rise of interest in the topic, with the birth of numerous magazines (Alla Carta and The Gourmand to name but a few) and specific projects considering food design.

As it goes, designers’ interest in food has taken many shapes. Starting from designing utensils and cutlery, which has formed some of the most famous design companies in the world, like the Italian Alessi, to various experiments with food design, like the ones developed by Martì Guixe. In fact, we can see Martino Gamper set up ‘designed’ dinner parties with his project Total Trattoria, where he created everything, from the tables and chairs to water jugs and glasses, from cutlery to the actual food people ate. Or designers like Marije Vogelzang creating particularly appealing ‘eating performances’ or our beloved Formafantasma create baked vessels from water and flour, taking inspiration from traditional Sicilian crafts.


In fact, this relationship, that results in some obvious and some less obvious outcomes, has been explored with an exhibition at MART, in Trento, titled “Progetto Cibo, la forma del gusto” curated by Beppe Finessi. The show explores the lasting relationship between design and food, starting from Bruno Munari’s book “Good design” and ending with contemporary projects by the aforementioned Martì Guixe and Formafantasma. In a typically Italian style, “Progetto Cibo, la forma del gusto” shows how food can be turned into a universal language, bringing together and uniting different cultures and realities helped by the clever hand of design.

“Progetto Cibo, la forma del gusto” is on display until the 2nd of June 2013 at MART, Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto.

Rujana Rebernjak 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
17/04/2013

Guest Interview n°46: Philippe Malouin

We met Philippe Malouin, one of the most exciting young contemporary designers of today, during Salone del Mobile 2013 held last week.

Philippe was born in Canada but has studied in Paris and at Design Academy of Eindhoven, a school that has surely influenced his approach towards design. In fact, Philippe is more interested in un-orthodox production processes and exploration of different materials than in formal virtuosity. We had a pleasant chat with him on the occasion of his first solo show in Italy, properly titled ‘Simple’, held at Project B gallery in Milan.

Written by Rujana Rebernjak, interview by Monica Lombardi, video by Renzo O. Angelillo 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
13/04/2013

Salone 2013: Something Good

Something Good is a project initiated three years ago by a group of young Italian designers with the idea of creating a platform for creation of hand-made objects, raising awareness towards the quality production of local artisans as well as giving an output for emerging designers, who often find it difficult to enter the corporate world, dominated by bombastic international names. For their third appointment at Salone del mobile, Zaven (Marco Zavagno and Enrica Cavarzan), Matteo Zorzenoni and Giorgio Biscaro have created a series of simple, but beautiful objects, designed both through their impeccable vision as well as the profound knowledge of local artisans, their partners-in-crime.


How did you designers meet?
We basically studied in the same university so we know each other from that time. We are a sort of a team of three different design studios: one is Giorgio Biscaro, one is Matteo Zorzenoni and then Zaven which consist of Enrica Cavarzan and Marco Zavagno. We started this project two years ago when we started working with artisans of the local area of Veneto, where we are based. The main group of organizers are us four and we started this new company with a first collection based on our designs, with the idea of opening up to other projects in the future.

What is the idea that guided the creation Something Good?
We started by inviting people to collaborate with artisans and local producers and we saw that it was going really well so we decided to start this project, Something Good. This is the first time since we started two years ago that we are here with some sort of structure that is not an exhibition, and it’s the first time we are actually selling the products we developed together. It’s very exciting!


Can you tell us something more about your show here in Milan?

We are presenting a few projects that are made in the Veneto area with local artisans. Since everything is made by artisans, the objects are really perfect in one way, but can also have certain ‘deficiencies’ or ‘mistakes’ due to the material we work with. They are not actually mistakes, but result in unique pieces. Like these vases, they are made of borosilicate glass and are hand blown which means that each piece is made individually, so there can be a difference from one vase to another.

Could you explain the particularities of the objects displayed? How and where were they made and who are the artisans you have worked with?
The vases (DIP) are designed by Zaven and this chromed centre-piece (NISH) is made by Giorgio Biscaro. The cutting board (IN-LAY) is designed by Matteo Zorzenoni and made with two different types of wood. These pitchers are also designed by Matteo and developed by a glass master in Murano. 
You can see from the display that we work with different scales of the project. We don’t want to be stuck with something that is complicated, we want to manage the production in the right way, so we try to find a way of working with the right scale of things together with the artisans. The product basically comes from our dialogue and we solve the problems and develop the objects together with the artisans. Their role is as important as ours, it’s really half and half in terms of design.

What were your goals in creating this project and pursuing this kind of production?

The idea is based on working in a way that is flexible: we can choose what to produce according to the abilities and skills of the artisans we are working with. The point is to make something that is of quality, and strictly related to the tradition of the work of the artisans. We work with small quantities each time according to requests and we are going to sell online – the shop opens in 10 days.

What do you think is the role of traditional crafts in Italian design?

People always think every project is made in the industry but in reality the first project or object is made by the artisan who makes the first prototype. Also, many times it’s the artisan who works with the final product for the industry. The artisans are the core of the industry in Italy – we don’t have the culture of machinery and we have really powerful skills, and traditions are still very important for Italian design. It’s important to keep the abilities of artisans alive. People think that the work of an artisan isn’t that ‘cool’, but actually, being able to work with your hands and your head together, is what creates great things.

You as designers curate the production process as a whole with Something Good, do you feel that the traditional role of a designer has changed today?

As a designer you must know everything. Every time you work with a company that works in different fields or with different techniques, you need to have the knowledge of the production process. So for us, to curate the whole process, being ‘on the other side’, has been a great challenge. It makes you grow as a designer because you start thinking about the communication, the packaging etc.

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe & Rujana Rebernjak – Photos Alessandro Furchino 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
12/04/2013

Salone 2013: Ventura Lambrate

If you were to choose – be it for the lack of time, be it for the lack interest – only a couple of things to see at Salone del mobile, one of those should be Ventura Lambrate. A particularly ‘independent’ design district in the corporate-owned design fair, this cluster of internationally acclaimed creatives, young talents and small creative brands is the place to be.


This year Ventura Lambrate sees the return of some of its already established appointments, like the one with Cos, once again presenting their pop-up shop this year designed by Bonsoir Paris. On the other hand, some other well-established companies have sensed the appeal and particular reputation of Ventura Lambrate, moving their stands away from the centre of Milan, like Established & Sons whose polished and eclectic furniture creates a quite strong contrast with the surrounding shows. Another (fashion) design giant has turned to Ventura Lambrate: we are speaking of Diesel, who has also created a special restaurant in the zone in collaboration with Amaro, named The Diesel Social Cafè Club.


While the popularity of the zone is attracting established design companies and thus, potentially, putting in question its role as hub of young and independent design talents, the presence of some of the most interesting European design schools surely brings it back on the ‘research’ track. You can see the works of Royal College of Art graduates that range from contemporary furniture, to interactive installations, to more narrative-based pieces, “all aiming to challenge the perception of design and provoke a change that would fundamentally shape our future world”. On the other hand, the provocative young designers of Design Academy in Eindhoven have concentrated on the process of designing, explored with the exhibition “Linking Process” whose goal is to reveal the beauty of creation putting on display the “phases of concept development, trial and error, sketching, building and rebuilding, and the new discoveries” that result from that processes.

Hopefully the sudden appeal of Ventura Lambrate won’t spoil its denomination as place of research, investigation, critical approach and speculation which the overcrowded corporate design world so much needs.

Rujana Rebernjak 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
12/04/2013

Salone 2013: Studio Formafantasma

We met Simone and Andrea, authors of some of the most challenging yet exciting design projects, at Triennale di Milano in the midst of the hectic design week Salone del Mobile 2013. The duo, working under the name Formafantasma, was invited to participate in Triennale design museum’s latest exhibition called “The Syndrome of Influence”, where they were asked to interpret and play with Roberto Sambonet’s work. Even though Simone and Andrea’s work got us chatting for quite some time and there would be much more to say about them, here are a few lines that might clarify their role as one of the most promising designer brand of the future.

Could you tell us something about your project for the Triennale, “Cucina Sambonet”?

We were invited to interpret and develop the project on the work of Roberto Sambonet, who was in a way one of the last famous Italian designers. The reason why it is called Cucina Sambonet is because he designed a lot of objects for the kitchen, he was also a good cook and had a column in “Il Sole 24 ore” about cuisine and food. While the overall concept for the Triennale was very interesting, we also fell that we wanted to use this possibility to say something that goes beyond the work of Sambonet himself. We needed a fictional project where his works and drawings, drawn from his archive, could become scenographies. We worked with a movie director and an actor interpreting Sambonet, basically preparing a dish using his most famous piece within the same scenography. The text used comes from an interview he gave in 1994, where we selected some parts and kept on writing it, imagining him thinking about what would happen with design in the future. So, we are more or less making a statement on the necessity, for instance, of no longer talk about national design, while also trying to push back history, since the tendency in Italy is to keep on reviving what happened in the past.

How has this design culture influenced your work, seen that you have studied abroad?

I think you can see there is the Italian influence in most of our projects, but it is mixed with more conceptual projects related with Dutch design. We really enjoy not belonging to anything or anywhere. We always say we’re bastards, because if you put together Dutch and Italian design, it seems like nothing can come out of it or have a strong identity. That’s why we are so sick speaking about national identity or national design. It’s absolutely irrelevant.

So, let’s take a step back. How did you two meet and started working together?

We met when we were both studying at ISIA in Florence. We started to collaborate when we had a little bit of freetime because, even if ISIA was a product design school, we were interested in graphics design. We worked together on preparing our portfolios for two different schools where we wanted to continue our studies at. In the end we decided to go to Eindhoven because we could really relate to what was happening in the Netherlands. 
The story of how we got there is actually really nice, because we sent only one portfolio! Since the beginning, we applied as a team and when we came there we discovered that it was quite an exception.


What would you say is the most important characteristics of your work?
It’s critical and conceptual and not really formal. Of course it is formalized, but we don’t start by sketching a lot of shapes. That’s not the point in our work. We are really interested in the ideas and the expression of ideas and concepts through our work and not only the formal qualities of an object.

You often experiment with new or unusual materials, showing the process of your work. Why do you think it is important to also show the process of the design and not only the final product?
I think that in recent years, we displayed production, because things are produced elsewhere and you don’t know where they come from, you don’t know how they are produced. It’s a way of giving information. I think people nowadays want to be more involved and knowing where things come from and how they are produced. Showing the process is really about transparency.


You don’t work with the industry but mostly with galleries on specially commissioned projects. Do you feel this as a necessity or is it a conscious choice for you? What does this type of production allow you to do?
No, not really, because we are now, hopefully, starting to work with companies. It’s not a choice, it’s an option we investigated in the beginning. Let’s say that the way we worked until now is really much more speculative and galleries fit in much more with this type of production. Galleries are a place for discussion.

Let’s finish with your thoughts on this years Salone. Do you have any other projects displayed around Milan?
We have a couple of other projects displayed but we are more focusing on September and February when we will have two solo shows. We actually haven’t seen so much of the Salone yet, but we have a strange feeling of calmness. There is the crisis, and it’s visible. That’s nice though, because it’s not about big bold statements but about the human scale in things.


Rujana Rebernjak & Lisa Olsson Hjerpe, photos Alessandro Furchino 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
11/04/2013

Tom Dixon’s MOST at Salone del Mobile 2013

Rough and smooth, traditional English tea with scones, cucumber sandwiches and strawberry jam, hip sportswear, young design brands, brass buckets, metal lamps, angular furniture and gemstones, science and technology, forward-thinking culture, dramatic surroundings, disruptive design and robotics. What do all these things have in common? Well, nothing more and nothing less than Tom Dixon, the grand master of British design, whose work has changed the way we perceive design and “the materials, technologies, production techniques and distribution systems” it uses.

Tom Dixon has charmed the design world during last year’s Salone del mobile with his project Most, held for the second year round at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. More than a project, Most is a platform for contemporary design that combines a distinctive mix of performances and events with young design brands and studios, interacting with almost all areas of creative production: from food to fashion, from art to product design, from technology to traditional crafts.

To prove the versatility of the event, we must mention this year’s most photographed and talked about feature: Tom Dixon’s collection for Adidas, comprising a collection of garments and accessories that “you can pack neatly in a bag for a week away”. Besides this enviable collaboration, Mr. Dixon is also presenting his new line of products, made primarily from metal – his signature material – and named “Rough and Smooth”, recalling the physical qualities of lamps, tables, tea sets and champagne buckets included in the collection.


Even though Tom Dixon is the main star of Most, it would be foolish visiting the Museum of Science and Technology only to see his latest creations, since this giant location is packed up with exciting new talents, great pieces of design and a positive vibe we hope might last even after the lights of this year’s Salone are turned (finally) off.

Rujana Rebernjak 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
10/04/2013

In Memoriam: Paolo Soleri

Paolo Soleri, the quixotic Turinese architect, maker and theorist passed away yesterday at 93. And while during his lifetime he may not have become a household name, he was by all measures a heavyweight among his contemporaries. His was a vision of utopia, a radical rethink of the priorities of architecture. He thought prodigiously (and wrote beautifully) about the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems in cities long before it became almost obligatory to do so. He was acutely aware of architecture’s role in shaping its societies, and his designs, pro-social by nature drawing heavily on local materials, were a direct reaction to the anti-social big-box landscapes of the postmodern world. His career-defining masterpiece, Arcosanti, was imagined from the ground up as an achievable utopia in which sustainability and social currency were to be every bit as valuable as monetary currency.

I was fortunate enough to visit Arcosanti for the first time late last summer, when these photos were taken. The breathtaking earthen Oz lies at the end of a badly washboarded dirt road off a stretch of Arizona interstate halfway between Flagstaff and Phoenix. It is literally a city unto itself, set against its stunning desert backdrop, and where everyone warmly referred to its designer as just “Paolo.” It is palpably happy, optimistic place, abuzz with activity and surprisingly future forward in its artisanal ways.

Arcosanti is still under construction today, more than four decades after its inception, primarily because it has foregone traditional models of financing and contracting. It is being built from the inside out, organically and mindfully and not-for-profit, by its own inhabitants–a scale model tucked into a corner of the complex reveals that it is as of yet only 1/4 complete. Seasonal volunteers and permanent residents work year-round, some smelting bronze for bells in the atelier to raise money for the community, others framing, landscaping or forming and laying earthen bricks. Everyone works with his or her hands and community is key.


Soleri studied at the Politecnico di Torino and moved permanently to the desert Southwest in the 1950s, where he and his wife founded Cosanti, handcrafting one-of-a-kind earthen and bronze wind chimes. The business helped to finance his architectural endeavours, leading ultimately to the founding of Arcosanti. He created notable works of of public art, appeared in numerous films, and won numerous awards over the course of his career, including the Lione d’oro at the 2000 Venice Biennale d’Archittetura. A new film The Vision of Paolo Soleri: Prophet in the Desert was completed earlier this year and has been screened in select cinemas. Sadly, his landmark amphitheatre in Santa Fe was recently demolished to make way for more utilitarian buildings.

Our sincere condolences today to the Soleri family and the Arcosanti community.

Tag Christof 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
09/04/2013

Triennale Design Museum – The Syndrome of Influence

One of the most expected events in the design world inaugurates officially yesterday: Milan’s Salone del mobile has opened its gates to hundreds of visitors hungry for design novelty. It is inevitable, though, that a few questions are raised about the purpose of this event, its influence and its role both in the past as well as in the present. Tracing the past of Salone brings us to Triennale di Milano, a historical Italian institution devoted to the culture of design, born as an international event nearly 90 years ago with the idea of creating a platform for exchange between the industry and the applied arts.


Looking at the shows presented every three years at Triennale, we can see the Italian design culture grow and develop itself in what will later be recognized as an untouchable international excellence. From the shows devoted to Italian regime during the 30s to the innovative pavilions designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Rai, each and every Triennale was a showcase of true design spirit, the one that changes profoundly our material reality. It is exactly this spirit, particularly significant in the context of the Salone, that the current Triennale Design Museum tries to reflect upon in a show that intertwines past, present and future, titled “The Syndrome of Influence”.

Structured in three different chapters, the show’s main goal is to tell its visitors how the famous Italian design culture was formed, starting from the period between the two World Wars. Hence, the first part of the exhibition gives the opportunity to several contemporary Italian designers (among which our favourites Studio Formafantasma and Martino Gamper to reflect upon the work and heritage of some of the most appreciated masters of Italian design. The second part of the show features a series of interviews with designers like Enzo Mari or Mario Bellini, who have witnessed the radical crisis in Italian design in act after the economical growth of the 50s and 60s.

The final stage of the show displays the work of some of the most interesting Italian brands, like Magis, Kartell or Alessi, reflecting upon the relationship between Italian companies and single designers, particularly significant for Italian design. Thus, this part of the exhibition tells us how ‘made in Italy’, which we are all so proud of, would never have happened without the curious intelligence of a handful of talented impresarios.

“The Syndrome of Influence” is particularly significant seen in the context of Salone del mobile, since it can teach us how only through silent dedication for one’s work, passion and wit, design classics can be brought to life, quite the opposite of what we can witness during one of the most frenzied design weeks, driven by pure need for novelty, marketing and, fundamentally, economy.

Rujana Rebernjak 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
09/04/2013

Public Works: Architecture by Civil Servants

Public Works: Architecture by Civil Servants

The architect, or so the popular narrative goes, is a singleminded auteur, a créateur hellbent on erecting his or her (mostly his) vision of the built environment. He’s a mix of van Bruggen and Serra, decking out the city with pretty showpiece sculpture. He is Hadid and Gehry and Calatrava and the like, dreaming up improbable, untouchable icons akin to garish Rolls-Royce hood ornaments.

But, in case you haven’t noticed, you likely don’t inhabit an ornament. Rather, it’s probably a series of boxes penned by someone with a far less impressive name. Do you know who designed London’s magnificent, sweeping Barbican? Chicago’s utopian, yet tremendously functional Marina City? Your own home, for that matter? Doubtful. Yet it is precisely those functional, perhaps benignly anonymous buildings that our human lives actually inhabit. These works by architects no less diligent than their better-known colleagues are the real fabric of the built environment.

So, while the names of the architects who design these buildings have already been forgotten by posterity, OMA has curated Public Works: Architecture by Civil Servants, a fresh exhibition that seeks to at least pay tribute to their excellent work. Ironically enough, OMA itself is headed by the irascible Rem Koolhaas (the contemporary architect who perhaps best defines the aforementioned starchitect archetype – starchetype?), but his practice is nothing if not a visionary and considerate of human society. It seems strangely appropriate that this starchitect would be behind such an inclusive tribute to the extensive work of “anonymous bureaucrats” (the words of co-curator Reinier de Graaf): his forbears, his successors, his minions. The servants which make the boxes against which his starkly original designs look all the more impressive.

The show, which first opened at last year’s Venice Biennale d’Architettura, focuses specifically on large-scale, oft maligned brutalist/modernist 1960s-1970s public architecture of London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Italy and France. De Graaf calls the period “a short-lived, fragile period of naïve optimism, before the market economy’s brutal command took the lead.” It was the last gasp of an era when designers and planners actually seemed to believe they could neatly, cleanly solve world problems of urbanism once-and-for-all through building.

Open through April 14th at St. Agnes at Alexandrinenstraße 118 in Berlin.

Tag Christof

Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
02/04/2013

Sneak Peek into Salone del Mobile 2013

Sneak Peek into Salone del Mobile 2013

The craze about this year’s Salone has already started. We are being reminded of events, cocktails and presentations, shown products, ambients, locations, and, most of all, reminded of names, names and names that should present the hottest stuff in the design world this year. Well, we have to admit that we have resisted for quite a while before diving into the event lists of Salone del Mobile 2013, but, finally, have decided to cope with the flux of events and pick what might be the most interesting things to see this year.

This tour needs to start at Ventura Lambrate, a venue that has substituted Zona Tortona in being the most exquisite place where to learn about new and upcoming designers. This prestigious status is being confirmed with the presence of a few big names who have decided to present their work at Lambrate, like Established & Sons and Diesel. Besides rooted design names, we can also look forward to seeing some exciting projects coming from leading European design schools like Design Academy Eindhoven, Aalto University – School Of Arts, Design And Architecture, or Faculty of Design and Art – Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.

Another much expected event is surely Tom Dixon’s second edition of MOST, which will once again occupy Milan’s National Museum of Science and Technology. MOST will present Tom Dixon’s latest collection, a set of objects produced almost exclusively in metal, like solid brass champagne buckets and faceted furniture inspired by gemstones. Brera Design District, on the other hand, will explore traditional crafts and their relationship with the industry, particularly suitable theme for an area countersigned by small shops and big designer showrooms, like that of the Italian company Moroso designed by Patricia Urquiola.

A few other smaller exhibitions must not be skipped this year. The firs one is a show by Swiss-based studio Big-Game at Galleria 70. Titled “Everyday Objects”, the show will present a collection of their recent projects for brands like Alessi, Hay, Karimoku New Standard. Another young designer, Philippe Malouin, will show his work in a solo exhibition at Project B gallery, demonstrating his particular approach that relays on the simplicity of forms associated to a sophisticated design concept.

After taking a glance at the future of design with these two names, please don’t forget to get to know something about the past too, since Flos will be holding a show of the grand master of Italian lighting design, Gino Sarfatti. And if you still have the energy and the will to look at anything else after these shows, Triennale Design Museum and Spazio Rossana Orlandi are two ‘musts’ of every Salone, together with Inventario’s exhibition about books at Museo Poldi Pezzoli.

Every Salone del Mobile appears to be bigger, better and stronger than the one before, leading us to think that there is so much need for posh and spicy design today. Well, even though the sheer quantity of names and events will prevent anyone from remembering anything at all after a day it is all over, we still hope some designers might surprise us with their thoughtfulness, intelligence and wit.

Rujana Rebernjak

Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
Next Page » « Previous Page