There was plenty of experimentation on view in Milan this year. Our second debrief looks at how a reinterpretation of materials and processes has brought intriguing new results /
This post looks at those who have strived to find a new way of producing objects. Throughout the week there was a sense of an industry looking inward at itself and at how improvements can be made. This was visible not just in terms of rethinking products, but also in a much wider reflection on industry models and practice, as shown by the #milanuncut debate on twitter and elsewhere.
In terms of the more established designers and companies; Davide Groppi and Catellani & Smith both released LED based lighting that prove the technology is close to being perfected. Stefan Diez turned to car manufacturing plants for inspiration and Nendo as always displayed inventive products that defy traditional expectations of what a material can achieve.
The emerging designers were also strong this year, the focus at RCA Intent seemed to be on smaller scale production and inventive use of local materials; demonstrated perfectly below by Kieren Jones and Jorge Manes Rubio. Meanwhile Design Academy Eindhoven standouts were Maaike Seegers project where the user is also the manufacturer, and also Michelle Baggermans soft, refined, recycled plastic fabric. Spazio Rossana Orlandi as expected provided a wealth of inspiration, and Satellite belonged to the Japanese this year, particular favourites for us were Yota Kakuda, t/m and Nao Tamura.
A selection of our personal highlights are below //
(Led is More by Davide Groppi for Davide Groppi / This pendant light revisits the form of the classic incandescent frosted bulb, now banned in the EU. This light instead uses LED technology to a similar light quality with sound environmental credentials.)
(Tranparent Chair by Nendo on show at Galleria Antonia Jannone - images by Masayuki Hayashi / Constructed using industrial strength polyurethane wrap that retains it's shape after beng subjected to stress, the effect is one of being suspended in mid air and being enveloped - just like a hammock.)
(Transparent Lamp by Nendo - as above / "The pendant lamp uses a type of protective film that is semi-transparent when viewed directly, and transparent when viewed at an angle... The light hits the film at a right angle, creating the effect of soft light spilling into the space of the room as it passes through the transparent lampshade" - Nendo)
(Ploum by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset / A rethink on the conventional sofa, Ploum uses a stretchy covering fabric and an ultra-flexible foam making it adaptable and very comfortable. It has also been designed to incorporate a soft curve encouraging users to face and interact with each other)
(Ultreia by Jorge Manes Rubio shown at RCA Intent / Manes Rubio has converted a bicycle into a self-sustainable factory that is able to relocate itself everyday. His journey saw him manufacturing site specific products from local materials along El Camino, an ancient pilgrim route in Spain, transforming it into a 700km production line. Find out more at www.seethisway.com)
(Chassis by Stefan Diez for Wilkhahn / The Chassis frame is built from sheet steel using deep drawn techniques adapted from the car manufacturing industry. The seat is made from industrially woven polypropylene. The whole manufactruing process generates almost no wastage and the materials used are completely recyclable.)
(The Chicken Project by Kieren Jones shown at RCA Intent / Jones created a factory from discarded materials in the local area. He then used this factory to process all the non edible by-products of a chicken into useful objects such as crockery and a form of leather, the results are impressive. www.kierenjones.com)
(Precious Waste by Michelle Baggerman shown at Design Academy Eindhoven's Showcase entitled "This Way" / Baggerman has developed a technique for spinning used carrier bags into a strong durable yarn which can be woven to create beautifully fine fabrics. The process involves no heat or chemicals which means the fabric can be recycled in the normal fashion once the fabric reaches the end of its life span. www.bureaubaggerman.nl)
(LC03 Flax by Maarten Van Severen and Fabian Schwaerzler for Pastoe / Pastoe have created a version of the LC03 Chair replacing the fibreglass of the original with a flax and bio resin seat. In addition, when the chair is at the end of its functional life it's biomass can be used to generate green energy)
(L/R Sorry Giotto Terra and Sorry Giotto Parete both by Enzo Catellani for Catellani & Smith / This experimental Italian lighting company have used hundreds of tiny LED lights to illuminate the back of these delicate circles to dramatic effect)
(Series 19 Bowl by Omar Arbel for Bocci / Made from sand cast recycled brass. The overspill from the process is retained highlighting the juxtapostion between the raw and polished material. Bocci have made a video showing the process here)
(Mayuhana by Toyo Ito for Yamagiwa / Mayuhana has now been released in black (not pictured), it's delicate fibre glass structure contains three spun circles encasing the naked bulb.)
(Bamboo Steel by Nendo shown at La Triennale di Milano / Part of Yii series in association with Gijs Bakker of Droog, Nendo investigated ways of reconciling Taiwan's traditional crafts and modern materials, here tubular steel is treated as if it were bamboo, the tubes cut and bent, joins are made using old techniques, the steel is split and woven to form the seat)
(Heracleum by Bertjan Pot for Moooi / Heracleum's biomimetic design takes it's inspriation from Hogweeds. By coating conductive layers an extra thin wire can be used, highlighting the fragilty of it's form. Heracleum's leaves are lit by LEDs and can be rotated to suit)
(Maritime by Benjamin Hubert for Casamania / Maritime is made using traditional shipbuilding techniques, the ashwood ply is formed to fit within the external frame, the ribbing adding strength to the design)
(Botanica by Studio Formafantasma shown at Spazio Rossana Orlandi images by Luisa Zanzani / The stunning pieces on display as part of 'Botanica' are the result of painstaking research into sources of plasticity in the Pre-Oil Era. Studio Formafantasma offer a reinterpretation of old technology in order to help resolve the issues we have with our current consumption of oil based plastics)
(Tenon by Yota Kakuda shown at Satellite at Salone Internazionale Del Mobile - images by Kazunobu Yamada / A collection of furniture that can be assembled using the ancient technique of mortise and tenon joints, which need no glue or nails. www.yotakakuda.com)
("Design so the Process is Part of the Product" by Maaike Seegers shown at "This Way" / Using wax etracted from the Palm Tree and four supplied stoneware moulds, Seeger's concept can be easily used to create as much cutlery/crockery as the user wishes, making the end user part of the process and the end product designed according to individual need. See more of the process here)
(Detail of Lightwood by Jasper Morrison for Maruni / These images of a deconstructed Lightwood Chair show the intricate joints that hold this delicate chair together, the image below shows the chair with mesh as opposed to webbed upholstery)
(Lightwood Chair by Jasper Morrison for Maruni / as above)
(Kami Pots by Ett La Benn shown at "Poetry Happens" by DMY Berlin / These pots made from 100% bidegradable cellulose are at once solid and light, the naturalism of the material is belied by the stark shapes of the vases themselves, recallling made man contrete and urban forms)
(Beanie developed by Montis Plus for Montis / This knitted ball punctuates the space as you wish, providing additional seating as needed)
Post by Claire Gittins and Jonathan Barrie.