Hasta La Ideas

Chris Kabel has created key fobs from found objects and glowing curtains reminiscent of the Northern Lights for the Fogo Island Inn hotel on an isolated Canadian island (+ slideshow).

Fogo Island is a tiny island off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, close to the Artic Circle, which houses live-in artists’ studios and cabins as part of an ongoing residency programme.

Chris Kabel’s cast 29 “found objects” in bronze to create the Fogo Finds key fobs for the Fogo Island Inn, designed by Saunders Architects and built in 2013, which has 29 guest rooms along with public spaces including an art gallery curated by Fogo Island Arts and a library specialising in the local region.

The objects were all found on the island: washed up on the shore, in a fisherman’s shed and even in the local supermarket.

They include a snub-nosed cod head and a native Beothuk Indian spearhead, made from an iron nail likely to be have been stolen from the first European settlers.

Hanging together behind the reception desk of the hotel, the bronze of the 29 fobs contrasts with the plain black wall behind, creating a museum-like display that provides hints about life on Fogo Island.

Kabel also developed Woven Night Skies, curtains that mimic the Northern Lights, for the hotel’s conference room in collaboration with Netherlands-based TextielLab.

The curtains for the room’s north facing windows use digitally-produced patterns, a glow-in-the-dark cotton yarn and a weaving technique that enables a subtle gradient between colours.

While the conference room lights are on, the yarn absorbs the light. When the lights are turned off for a presentation, the yarn emits a soft light, creating an ethereal glow reminiscent of the Northern Lights.

The island is home to secluded cabins designed by Saunders Architecture that are used as artist studios – see a slideshow of the completed retreats.

Wooden furniture for the inn and outdoor spaces around the island was created by Ineke Hans based on traditional Canadian designs.

Photography is by Mathijs Labadie unless otherwise stated.

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