Hasta La Ideas

In addition to sharing an etymological root with the word “salvation,” the notion of “salvage” also connotes wreckage; specifically, an effort to recover that which might be lost in the face of disaster. Brooklyn’s Uhuru, for one, has long sought to revive serviceable materials in furniture form, and we weren’t surprised to see them among the designers who participated in Sawkill Lumber’s 12×12 exhibition during New York Design Week this year.

Photo of Fire Island by Daniel Moyer

Uhuru is just one of the two dozen designers revisiting that theme for an forthcoming fundraiser in response to the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. Organized by writer Jennifer Gorsche, DesignerPages Editor-in-Chief Jean Lin and designer Brad Ascalon, Reclaim NYC is true to the spirit of salvage in every sense of the word.

New York City’s design community is teaming up to raise money for those affected by Superstorm Sandy with an auction of furniture created from materials reclaimed or salvaged after the storm and of pieces inspired by the flooding…

Furniture collectors will have a unique opportunity to take home a piece of the storm while benefitting those most affected by it. More than 20 designers have pledged pieces to the silent auction, the proceeds of which will go to the American Red Cross in Greater New York. Each designer is bringing a unique take on Sandy and its aftermath with pieces ranging from tables and chairs to lighting fixtures to art objects. Some designers have plans to explore themes of the storm in future work as well.

Click to enlarge the invitation

We had a chance to catch up with Gorsche and Ascalon, who gladly provided a sneak preview of some of the work that will be at the auction (full list of participants below):

Core77: Let’s start from the beginning—how did Reclaim NYC come about?

Jennifer Gorsche: I was running in the park and saw how many trees had been damaged. The wood was being hauled away and I wondered if it would be possible for some designers to use it. I called Jean Lin, my good friend and Designer Pages editor and chief, to talk about the idea. We talked with Brad Ascalon about it too, and started reaching out to NY-based designers. The response was really positive and though the timing of the event ultimately didn’t allow for large pieces of downed trees to be used (because of curing time involved) the designers have been very creative in addressing the theme of reclamation.

Brad Ascalon: As Jen mentioned, she and Jean reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in participating. Because I was so into the idea, the discussion ended with me wanting to be involved in the organization of the project alongside Jen and Jean.

Brad Ascalon – “I Lovey NY”

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