Maarten Baas’s surreal solo show created to “emphasise the circus that Milan is”

Milan 2014: Dutch designer Maarten Baas‘s circus-themed show at Milan design week, featuring a welded metal gum ball machine and modified arcade game, was created to “emphasise the circus that Milan is” (+ slideshow + interview).

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Baas‘s show was installed in an empty garage in the new 5 VIE design district during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, which took place from 8 to 13 April.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Visitors followed a red carpet that led them through a presentation with fairground music and surreal objects created specifically for the event, as well as some of the designer’s latest work for clients and galleries.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

“The starting point was to emphasise the circus that Milan is,” Baas told Dezeen, adding that the event has become more about presenting photogenic objects for promotional purposes than retail-ready products.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

“It hardly makes sense to develop a piece from A to Z and then present it in Milan because in the end it’s nothing more than a snapshot for sharing on Facebook, and the product is never sold even though it’s widely published,” he said.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Baas and his team spent three weeks in Milan producing pieces for the exhibition, many of which were deliberately fabricated to look good in photographs, but were, in fact, very roughly finished.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

These pieces included a chair with a randomly shaped seat upholstered in a red fabric that was held together at the back with sticky tape.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

To enhance the idea of creative freedom and that “everything was possible”, Baas exhibited new limited edition works for London and Paris gallery Carpenters Workshop Gallery alongside pieces made from polystyrene that were thrown out after the fair.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

To tie in with the circus theme, Baas replaced the playful seats of rocking rides commonly found at fairgrounds or shopping malls with a range of adulterated alternatives including a welded metal box, an upholstered four-legged creature and a foil-covered blob embellished with coloured lights.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Inside two booths built against the walls of the exhibition space, actors dressed as clowns sat surrounded by everyday paraphernalia, representing Baas’s recent collaborations with Dutch theatre group De Kwekerij.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

A gumball machine in Baas’s cartoon-like style dispensed oversized pills instead of sweets, while chairs and lamp shades were presented on a carousel with a stripy tree at its centre.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Summarising his thoughts on the overwhelming volume of products launched by design brands in Milan and the reason for his own avant-garde presentation, Baas said: “for the visitor [to Milan], your whole critical system is kind of wobbling in the end – you kind of swallow everything and that’s what I wanted to break open.”

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

The exhibition was coproduced by Ventura Projects, the organisation behind the Ventura Lambrate design district. It was presented alongside a separate show dedicated to the work of designers and companies with whom Baas collaborates, including Den Herder Production, Bertjan Pot and Nightshop.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Photography is by Kazoe van den Dobbelsteen.

Here’s an edited version of Dezeen’s interview with Maarten Baas:


Marcus Fairs: Tell us about the show you’ve set up in Milan.

Maarten Baas: In the Circus there’s a lot that reflects my ideas. The starting point was to emphasise the circus that Milan is and also that things are very much about showing nice pictures. It hardly makes sense to develop a piece from A to Z and then present it in Milan because in the end it’s nothing more than a snapshot to share on Facebook or whatever. And then the product is never sold, even though it’s widely published. So I think it’s not needed to develop the product totally. So I made a lot of improvised pieces that look good from one side and are taped together from the back side in order to anticipate that way or working.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

That’s one thing and another thing that was important was that it was so crazy, I wanted to get rid of all the critical voices in your head saying “This is not done!” “You cannot do this!” All the things that in the creative process are blocking your creativity. I threw it all out, all the ideas, I put bronze next to polystyrene pieces, very expensive €40,000 pieces next to things that we are going to throw in the garbage after the fair. We cut a Bambi in half and made a trophy out of it, we made a rocket going through the sky, everything was possible and I wanted to explode all those ideas.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Also for the visitor, your whole critical system is wobbling in the end. You kind of swallow everything. That’s what I want to break open.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Marcus Fairs: Describe the show for people who haven’t seen it.

Maarten Baas: We’re here close to the Duomo, five minutes walk from the Duomo. I always like to be not in the popular zones. This is a new zone called 5VIE and it’s a kind of garage. Since I’ve put a circus in it you could say it’s a circus tent. It’s an open space where I put all my pieces around a red catwalk carpet. You walk in one direction and go around all the pieces in a certain order and then you go out having seen the entertaining show.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

Marcus Fairs: You have some kiosks with actors dressed as clowns in them.

Maarten Baas: I collaborated a lot this year with other artists, other designers but also theatre people. Also last year I designed a set for a theatre play in Holland. I see design in the widest sense of the word as anything that is creative in whatever way and where the creativity becomes reality or hits the market. I want to use design as a platform where everything like that can happen. So theatre and music and all kinds of things that are somehow connected.

Maarten Baas solo show Milan 2014

The post Maarten Baas’s surreal solo show created to
“emphasise the circus that Milan is”
appeared first on Dezeen.

Plastic bottles woven with wicker form Chimbarongo shades for PET Lamps project

Milan 2014: designer Alvaro Catalan de Ocon has created a range of wicker lamp shades woven with old plastic bottles by artisans in Chile for his PET Lamps project (+ slideshow).

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

Alvaro Catalan de Ocon and the PET Lamps team combined reused plastic bottles with traditional craft to create a second range of lighting called Chimbarongo, which hung from vines in the courtyard of Spazio Rossana Orlandi for Milan design week.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

Named after the Chilean city close to Santiago in which the craftspeople who made them live and work, the lamps combine strips of recycled plastic bottles with local artisanal wicker weaving skills.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

“The whole city is involved in working with wicker,” said Catalan de Ocon. “They normally do traditional and not very nice things but we went there and worked together for one month.”

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

Discarded plastic drinks bottles are adapted by chopping off the bottoms, then cutting the sides into thin strips up to the neck.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

These strips are then woven with the wicker to form the lamp shades, mixing the coloured plastic with natural fibres to create patterns.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

The idea was based on traditional Japanese stirrers made from bamboo in a similar way, said Catalan de Ocon.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

“We got the inspiration from a Japanese bamboo piece from the tea ceremony,” he explained.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

The old bottle necks provide structure and support for the lightweight material. A bulb is suspended below the neck and the electrical cord threads through the top.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

The PET Lamp project originally began as a collaboration with weavers in Colombia, who created the first lamp collections that have simpler shapes but use more colours and patterns in the design of the shades.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

“It’s the same concept but the result is quite different,” said Catalan de Ocon. “It is always dependent on the local craftsmanship.”

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

The Chimbarongo range has a loose weave and some feature two or three woven tiers, using the wicker in its natural hue.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

“We decided to keep the original colour because they never tint it,” Catalan de Ocon explained.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

The lights are available as sets, which can be strung up together from a single source, or as individual lamps.

Woven plastic bottle Pet lamps by Alvaro Catalan de Ocon

Following the project’s debut at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in 2013, the new collection was on display in the gallerist’s courtyard for Milan design week earlier this month.

The post Plastic bottles woven with wicker form
Chimbarongo shades for PET Lamps project
appeared first on Dezeen.

Foam dipped in rubber becomes seating by Jo Nagasaka

Milan 2014: Japanese architect Jo Nagasaka has created a collection of spongy seats by tying up blocks of foam and dipping them in rubber.

Shibari by Ichiro Inc_dezeen_2

Nagasaka, who is principal of architecture studio Schemata Architects, based the Shibari series on the traditional Japanese art form of the same name, which means “to tie something with string”.

Shibari by Ichiro Inc_dezeen_4

The series, created for Japanese design brand Ichiro Inc, was presented at Spazio Rossana Orlandi during the Salone del Mobile in Milan earlier this month.

Shibari by Ichiro Inc_dezeen_3

To create the pieces of furniture, foam sheets were folded and tied up into bulging forms with rope. They were then dipped in a rubber coating. Each piece is a different irregular shape and comes in black or white.

Shibari by Ichiro Inc_dezeen_5

Different types of furniture – stools, sofas or tables – can be created by varying the way the foam is folded and tied. The lightweight items can then be carried around by using the knot as a handle. “We are envisioning furniture that generates different activities according to what we tie and how we tie,” said Nagasaka.

Shibari by Ichiro Inc_dezeen_6

Shibari is reputed to have evolved from Hojo-jutsu, the martial art of restraining captives by tying them up with rope. Samurai warriors honoured high-status captives by binding them in elaborate and flattering ways.

This later evolved into Shibari, an erotic form of bondage that involves tying up the human body in such a way that the knots and ropes act upon pressure points to create an effect similar to shiatsu or acupuncture.

See all our stories from Milan 2014.

Photography is by Hirotaka Hashimoto.

The post Foam dipped in rubber becomes
seating by Jo Nagasaka
appeared first on Dezeen.

Roman artefacts influence tableware designs by Jaime Hayon

Milan 2014: Spanish designer Jaime Hayon has created a tableware collection of vessels with metal stands that reference the pottery and architecture of ancient Rome.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
This image: Titus in polished ceramic with brushed brass base. Main image: Colosseum II in silver-plated metal

Jaime Hayon‘s New Roman collection for Italian brand Paola C is a series of containers in shapes that reference the forms of ancient carafes, plates and large amphorae storage vessels. It was exhibited at Paola C’s showroom in Brera during Milan design week.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Tiberius in copper with brushed brass base

“Inspired by the vessels of the Roman Empire, this collection transforms antique references into a celebration of contemporary craft,” said Hayon Studio.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Tiberius in polished ceramic with silver plated base

These containers were often originally created with rounded bottoms, so Hayon designed a set of metal stands his designs to stand up on their own.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Tiberius in polished ceramic with silver-plated metal base

Each round-bottomed vessel is made from either metal, ceramic or glass and sits on pedestals in a range of metals, creating a contrast of different textures.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Colosseum II in silver-plated metal with a copper base and Colosseum III in silver-plated metal with a brushed silver-plated metal base. Photograph is by Fabio Padovese

The largest piece in the collection is Colosseum, a large silver-plated bowl atop a brushed brass base shaped like the famous amphitheatre in Rome. There are two smaller versions of Colosseum as well as other plates on simpler bases.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Titus in copper with metal base in gunmetal grey colour

Titus is a vase that sits on a metal stand with four skinny legs. It is available in pale-coloured glass, silver, copper or ceramic, while the base comes in four types of metal.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Titus in transparent glass with silver-plated metal base

Titus is also available in various sizes and with the option of two handles, resembling the amphorae used to transport and store mostly wine by the Romans.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Titus with handles in polished ceramic with a brushed brass base

One of the vessels, Aether, is an oil lamp that comes in either copper or polished ceramic and rests on a brushed brass or copper stand.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Aether oil lamp in copper with brushed brass base and polished ceramic with brushed copper base. Photograph is by Fabio Padovese

Hayon has also created Sagunto, a polished ceramic candle holder with a brushed brass base.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Sagunto

The only object without a separate base is Augustus, a large silver-plated pitcher decorated by Hayon with a comic smiling face.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Augustus

Jaime Hayon also presented a table for furniture company Republic of Fritz Hansen in Milan last week.

New Roman collection by Jaime Hayon for Paola C
Sketch of the New Roman collection

Photography is by Klunderbie, unless otherwise stated.

The post Roman artefacts influence tableware
designs by Jaime Hayon
appeared first on Dezeen.

Plastic table by Tokujin Yoshioka for Kartell sparkles like crystal glass

Milan 2014: this plastic table by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka for Italian brand Kartell resembles cut glass.

Kartell Twinkle by Tokujin Yoshioka_dezeen_1sq

Tokujin Yoshioka‘s Twinkle table for Kartell refracts light in a similar way to crystal glass. “The table explores a new possibility of plastic,” said Yoshioka. “Twinkle is a table that shines like a crystal by reflection of light.”

Kartell Twinkle by Tokujin Yoshioka_dezeen_3

The polycarbonate breakfast table is made using injection moulding, a manufacturing process that allows for a table size that would not be possible to create from glass.

Changes in the thickness of the material created by the shape of the mould produces a prism effect.

Kartell Twinkle by Tokujin Yoshioka_dezeen_2

With a square base, the table features shallow grooves that run along the single pedestal leg and spread out from the centre beneath the larger square table top.

The table was exhibited at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2014, which concluded on Sunday.

The post Plastic table by Tokujin Yoshioka for Kartell
sparkles like crystal glass
appeared first on Dezeen.

Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture offers pebble-shaped cushions for comfort

Milan 2014: cushions scattered on the Nubilo sofa by French designer Constance Guisset look like a collection of giant pebbles (+ slideshow).

Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture

Constance Guisset designed the Nubilo sofa for French brand Petite Friture, with round cushions in different sizes and colours that can be rearranged to optimise comfort.

Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture

“Nubilo is a sofa made of several round and organic cushions that can be arranged to maximise cosiness,” said Guisset.

Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture

The cushions rest against a gently curving back of upholstered foam, which surrounds one side of the elliptical seat.

Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture

Coloured fabric covers and the imagination of the sitter can transform the grey pebble-shaped cushions into other objects and create different settings.

Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture

“It becomes the place where dreams take the occupant, a springboard to imagination and musing,” said the designer. “Either a cloud, balloons, a sea, anemone, an algae, pebbles…”

Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture

The sofa is fully upholstered, with the back and seat available in different shades. It was exhibited on Petite Friture’s stand at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, which concluded on Sunday.

The post Nubilo sofa by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture
offers pebble-shaped cushions for comfort
appeared first on Dezeen.

Fabrica researchers explore temperature theme for sensory installation in Milan

Milan 2014: dripping water from ice-encased tropical plants and quietly rotating feather-patterned fans featured in this climate-themed exhibition by Italian research centre Fabrica (+ slideshow).

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_1sq

Industrial, graphic and interactive designers at Fabrica created a series of sensory installations that aimed “to give a visual and experiential form to temperature” for air conditioning brand Daikin, in Milan last week.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_19

Thirty-six exhibits were installed within a laboratory-like setting entitled Hot & Cold.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_15

Following research into the effects of temperature, the designers curated a series of kinetic, material and sound-based works led by the project’s creative director Sam Baron.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_11

“In this project we conceived design as a practice that must communicate through form and function, a design that sets out from an object, and reaches towards sound, graphics and interactivity,” said Baron.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_5

Works on display included Migration, which comprised five motorised exhibits with hand-illustrated feathers. These represented the migration patterns of birds, characterised by height, distance and flock sizes during flight, said the project team.

“We loved the idea of birds migrating from one climate to another, as an expression of cold to hot and vice versa,” design team member Dean Brown told Dezeen.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_12

The Solar exhibit used NASA’s interpretations of what planets sound like. In the centre of the exhibition, the team hung a mechanical model of Venus and Neptune, the hottest and coldest planets, orbiting the sun.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_8

A sculpture called Air was made from suspended borosilicate glass letters, a material which is typically used in laboratories and resists extremely high temperatures.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_22

“We discovered that you can burn the glass on the inside,” said Brown. “These oil lanterns are slowing charring the inside of the glass and by the end of the exhibition, the letters will become totally black.”

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_9

A series of tropical plants entitled Flora were encased in ice, which gradually melted away and collected in a glass vessel to reveal the plant.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_3

Smaller objects were displayed on white metal stands with perforated tops, while larger exhibits were protected by low metal barriers designed to evoke a museum environment. “We took these references like these fences and plinths and framing objects the way you might do in a natural history museum,” said Brown.

Fabrica Hot and Cold Milan_2014_dezeen_7

The exhibition took place at the Garage Milano show during the city’s design week, which concluded on Sunday.

The post Fabrica researchers explore temperature theme
for sensory installation in Milan
appeared first on Dezeen.

Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners’ MEET sofa combines “sound absorption” with versatility

Milan 2014: what started as a conversation between Swedish furniture brand Offecct and Milan-based Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in 2013 has come full circle with the launch of the MEET sofa (+ slideshow).

Meet sofa by Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners for Offecct

“Our very first meeting during Salone del Mobile in 2013 quickly turned into a fascinating philosophical discussion about what informal meetings mean, and from there Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners have carried out this project perfectly,” said Offecct design manager Anders Englund.

Meet sofa by Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners for Offecct

Design studio Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners‘ brief for MEET was for a sofa fit for different types of activity, from work and informal meetings to casual time.

Meet sofa by Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners for Offecct

“When we work on projects aimed at the environment between office and residential space, we always want to see and feel how this product will actually work in a space so it can be of full service to the people who will use it,” said chief designer Robin Rizzini.

Meet sofa by Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners for Offecct

“We wanted to create a sofa that gives you the feeling of being virtually anywhere,” he continued. “Offecct’s new sofa system MEET is designed for this purpose. Its functions address Offecct’s main areas: the sustainability and sound absorbing qualities of their products, the importance of injecting life through plants in indoor environments and Offecct’s craftsmanship in working with wood and fabrics.”

Meet sofa by Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners for Offecct

MEET was shown on the Offecct stand at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile last week.

The post Fattorini+Rizzini+Partners’ MEET sofa combines
“sound absorption” with versatility
appeared first on Dezeen.

Stacking trays by Frederik Roijé form overlapping grid patterns

Milan 2014: Dutch designer Frederik Roijé has created a series of metal trays that form criss-crossing patterns when stacked on top of each other (+ slideshow).

Texture Trays by Frederik Roije

Frederik Roijé‘s set of three Texture Trays are made from bent powder-coated steel bars, which run in parallel diagonal lines.

Texture Trays by Frederik Roije

These curve up at the edges and join a bar forming the rim around the top. A grid pattern is formed when the different-sized trays are stacked inside one another.

Texture Trays by Frederik Roije

The two smaller pieces are designed to sit inside the largest tray.

Texture Trays by Frederik Roije

“We were inspired by all the different textures around us so you can play with it and make different combinations,” Roijé told Dezeen.

Texture Trays by Frederik Roije

Designed to fit together on a desktop, the trays can be used for organising files and stationery.

Texture Trays by Frederik Roije

“You can put magazines and other things in there. We have all these phones, keys and stuff like that on the table so we wanted to put them somewhere,” said Roijé.

Texture Trays by Frederik Roije

The trays were on show as part of an exhibition of Dutch design at Via Savona 33 in Milan’s Tortona district last week.

The post Stacking trays by Frederik Roijé
form overlapping grid patterns
appeared first on Dezeen.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for Hay

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

Milan 2014: the second project debuted by London studio Doshi Levien for Danish design brand Hay this year is a collection of mirrors with geometric shapes resembling jewels.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

The 13 different mirrors in Doshi Levien‘s Maya series are produced in variations on diamond, oblong, octagon, almond, drop and circular shapes that can be combined to create unique wall installations.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

“The shapes are coming from a meeting point between Indian tribal culture and modern geometric abstraction,” Jonathan Levien told Dezeen. “The forms were thought of as jewels for the wall, as constellations or sentences of different shapes.”

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

Combining the mirrors in different configurations allows the user to create arrangements comprising practical and decorative elements.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

“The larger mirrors are designed to offer face-height reflections, whereas the smaller ones are like satellites to accompany the larger mirrors, or to be used in numbers simply to bring glimmering light into the space,” Levien added.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

Doshi Levien originally designed the mirrors in 2012 for a room they curated as part of an exhibition called India Art Now at Arken Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

The mirrors were installed on a wall opposite portraits of famous Indian icons displayed in similarly shaped frames and were intended to “bring the steely grey sky of Denmark into the space.”

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

The designers showed the mirrors to Hay, which chose to add them to its collection and now produces them from laser-cut glass set in pressure die cast aluminium frames with a black powder-coated finish.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

Doshi Levien also created a chair for Hay with a curving shell that references the shape of a traditional Japanese paper fan.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

Both projects were presented by HAY during last week’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile.

Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors for HAY

The post Doshi Levien designs jewel-like mirrors
for Hay
appeared first on Dezeen.