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      MUT Design clads modular Valencia Pavilion in thousands of wooden scales

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      Valencia studio MUT Design has designed five modular pavilions clad in scales made from leftover wood for a travelling exhibition in Spain.The pavilions will showcase work by 50 designers in five different sections to celebrate Valencia’s title of World Design Capital for 2022.
      Each section – design and art, the circular economy, industry and craftsmanship, technology and the transformative economy – is housed within its own mini pavilion formed from two semi-cylinders.

      Top image: the exhibition is broken down into five mini-pavilions. Above: each is formed from two semi-cylinders

      These consist of four metre-high curved walls, which can be placed separately or together to create a labyrinth of winding corridors and secluded alcoves.
      Inside, the units’ pinewood frame and construction are laid bare, while the convex exterior is clad in hundreds of small, overlapping wooden fins, adding up to around 220,000 across all five pavilions.

      The units are arranged to form a labyrinth of corridors and alcoves
      The wood was originally meant to be turned into the parade floats that are ceremonially burned as part of Valencia’s historic Fallas festival every March, but the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
      Instead, the wood was used for this installation, which is on view as part of the Madrid Design Festival until 14 March before becoming a travelling exhibition.

      The pinewood frame is left exposed inside the pavilions
      “Here in Valencia, we have a lot of traditional wood ateliers that create works for the Fallas festival,” MUT Design co-founder Alberto Sánchez told Dezeen.
      “But it was cancelled due to the pandemic and a lot of materials were left on the shelf. So we decided to collaborate with one of the ateliers to give a new life to the wood and create some work for the builders.”

      The pavilions are clad in wooden scales
      Each scale was handmade by local woodworker Manolo García and trimmed to three standard sizes of 14, 16 and 18 centimetres. These were then lined up and alternated to create a textured surface not dissimilar to tree bark.
      “We wanted to bring together tradition and the avant-garde while recovering something that is really ours – deeply rooted in our city,” Sánchez explained.
      In particular, the studio drew on natural textures found in the Albufera National Park just south of Valencia, as well as on the thatched roofs of traditional houses known as barracas.

      Kengo Kuma designs tessellated Botanical Pavilion as “tridimensional puzzle”

      Breaking each pavilion down into two semi-cylinders allows the individual units to be combined into “infinite compositions” that can be adapted to different spaces for the travelling exhibition.
      “Because it is a travelling exhibition, we want to create one-of-a-kind experiences in each of the several places it will be visiting,” Sánchez added.
      The units were also designed to be taken apart into separate pieces, which can be stacked for ease of transport.

      Each scale was handmade by Manolo García
      Contributors to the exhibition include designer Jaime Hayon, brands Andreu World and Expormim, and a number of emerging studios showing projects including self-ventilating graphene facades and homeware made from olive pits.
      “We wanted to bring to Madrid a different selection of projects that are leading a silent transformation of society,” explained Xavi Calvo, director of World Design Capital Valencia 2022.

      Displays are fixed to the inside of the pavilions
      MUT Design has previously collaborated with Expormim to create a chair modelled on the shape of a flower petal and an outdoor rug made from braided ropes, which were exhibited at the products fair of Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival.
      Photography is by Ernesto Sampons.
      Valencia Pavilion – The Future is Design is on view at the Fernán Gómez Cultural Centre as part of the Madrid Design Festival until 14 March 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      ASKA creates escapist TV set for Stockholm Design Week interviews

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      Swedish architecture studio ASKA designed a set with terracotta colours, architectural shapes and real sand to create a sense of escapism for live interviews conducted during Stockholm Design Week.The backdrop was created for PR company Trendgruppen’s Design TV initiative, which was shown as a part of the Swedish capital’s annual design week.
      The 15-minute daily live episodes were conceived as a way of reaching an audience that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, were unable to attend the fair this year.

      A sculptural, terracotta-coloured sofa stands out against the peach background colour

      Reflecting the fact the much of the audience may be stuck at home, ASKA aimed to envoke a sense of escapism for the Design TV viewers.
      “Since we haven’t been able to travel for a while now we believe that the longing for exotic atmospheres is getting stronger – and we wanted to respond to this desire,” ASKA co-founder Polina Sandström told Dezeen.
      “The choice of colour therefore goes in tones such as peach, beige and terracotta, and the soft forms are inspired by the organic curves found in the Mediterranean area.”

      Linnea Legerfors and Polina Sandström of ASKA were interviewed by Stefan Nilsson for the live show
      The set also featured architectural shapes and a curated selection of glass, steel and ceramic accessories, as well as a pile of sand to underline the travel theme.
      The studio started the project by deciding on an angle and frame for the digital recording, and then designed and styled the setting from that one camera perspective.

      A variety of different materials including steel and glass created visual interest
      “By working with objects in different heights and placing details in different places – such as the sand pile, the folded fabrics and the vault backdrop – we were trying to create different focus points and thereby a more lively setting,” Sandström explained.
      “While placing interior objects with different distances from the wall and working with shadows we wanted to add a sense of ‘depth’ to the picture.”

      Architectural shapes were used to create a sense of stability
      ASKA chose a rich peach background colour, as digital settings require a lot of artificial light which can make the backdrop disappear.
      It also designed its own furniture, including a backdrop with vault-shaped openings, a coffee table and decorative pedestals to be used for the set. This was in an attempt to create a set design that would feel recognisable and safe.

      Tom Dixon finds “more inventive ways of reaching people” by visiting Stockholm Design Week as a hologram

      “We believe that being part of a very fast everyday rhythm while tangling unpredictable life scenarios has created a desire for stability and that people are drawn to a design language that is recognisable and familiar,” Sandström said.
      “Fundamental architectural elements such as vaults and columns provide this sense of safety and stability. In this setting we chose to reuse some of these large scale elements and show them in a small-scale context, as interior decorations.”

      Trendgruppen PR’s Karin Sköldberg interviewed by Stefan Nilsson
      With the coronavirus having severely affected physical attendance at design fairs, a number of organisers and brands have turned to digital solutions, such as livestreamed interviews, to showcase their events and products.
      Trendgruppen’s aim was for the Design TV broadcasts to share its design news with the media as well as architects, interior decorators and a design-interested audience.
      “The fair was closed, and we couldn’t arrange any press meetings or VIP cocktails – like we usually do – due to the pandemic,” Trendgruppen CEO Karin Sköldberg said.
      “The design companies had news to introduce, and we wanted to do something attractive, digital.”

      Beckmans students create furniture for the work-from-home era

      Though she thinks virtual talks will replace real-life conferences to some extent, Sköldberg still believes physical meetings will remain important.
      “There will still be live meetings and conferences,” she said. “We are humans and need to meet, and see each other. There is a lack of interaction when you only meet virtually.”
      Many other events have gone fully digital this year to reach people during the pandemic, including The World Around, while brands have also come up with innovative solutions – Tom Dixon’s eponymous founder attended Stockholm Design Week as a hologram.
      As part of Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival, we livestreamed numerous Screentime interviews and events.
      Photography is by David Thunander.
      Trendgruppen Design TV took place during Stockholm Design Week on 8 February – 12 February. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Hugo McCloud’s artworks use plastic bags instead of paint

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      New York artist Hugo McCloud has created a series of artworks that contain no paint or glue, only thousands of small plastic pieces cut from single-use bags and melted together to form a motif.The series, called Burdened, is on view at Sean Kelly Gallery in Hudson Yards, New York until 27 February and spans 31 original pieces created by McCloud while quarantining in his Mexico studio.

      Together shows women carrying goods across the border of Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city in Morocco
      To create the collages, which mainly depict scenes of labour, McCloud first traces them onto a wood panel before filling them in with the multicoloured plastic scraps.
      These are individually cut from plastic bags and layered on top of each other, much like individual brush strokes, before being fused together with an iron.

      Burdened is on show at Sean Kelly Gallery

      “Due to the nature of the material and its thinness, you can always see underneath, so one colour applied on top of another creates a third colour,” McCloud told Dezeen.
      “There has to be a lot of forethought and planning before starting. The plastic is fused onto the panel with an iron, there is no removal or covering up, you must know what you’re trying to achieve. With paint, there is more freedom for chance and emotions. I do miss some of that but working with the plastic is very meditative, with an understood direction.”

      Several of the artworks show refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya
      The bags come from recycling yards and waste management companies, or else the artist picks them up off the street himself or reuses ones that were given to him while shopping.
      Often, their branding remains visible in the final art piece, acting as a reminder of the material’s former life and reinforcing its familiarity.

      Each piece is a collage of hundreds or thousands of small plastic shreds
      Based on photographs found on the internet, the collages depict the movement of people and goods around the world, from workers transporting wares on their backs and bikes to refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea by boat.
      In this way, the Burdened series is not just a commentary on the environmental impact of single-use plastic but also an exploration of how this ubiquitous material transcends class and geography.

      Sweet Sneak Studio’s photo series puts focus on microplastics in the food chain

      “Traveling in India, I saw multi-colour plastic sacks everywhere and started to understand their downcycle, from the companies that purchased and used them to distribute their products, down to the trash pickers in Dharavi slums,” the artist explained.
      “The idea that these plastic bags would always be around – never biodegrade – interested me, and made me curious about the hands and lives of the many people they would pass through.”

      With all your Might is one of several pieces that show goods being transported by labourers
      The exhibition also includes a mini-series of collages showing flower arrangements, which McCloud made to offer the show’s visitors and himself a moment of respite from the dispiriting news cycles and monotony of lockdown.
      McCloud, who has a background in industrial design, is known for creating “paintings” from unusual, often three-dimensional materials like bitumen or aluminium sheeting.

      The exhibition features 31 artworks
      To mark New York City’s ban on plastic bags, local artist Robin Frohardt created a grocery store installation last March that was stocked with produce like tomatoes and berries, all formed from discarded single-use carriers he had collected from the city’s streets.
      Dutch food design studio Sweet Sneak has previously explored pollution and its environmental impact through a photo series, in which common foods and drinks such as beer and sushi were topped with styrofoam bubbles and wrapped in plastic bags.
      Installation view photographs are by Jason Wyche.
      Burdened is on view at Sean Kelly Gallery until 27 February 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Simon Hamui creates clean-lined furniture for minimalist Mexico City house

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      Mexican design firm Simon Hamui has created bespoke furnishings for a moody and minimalist Mexico City home by Spanish practice Francesc Rifé Studio, using a tactile palette of eucalyptus wood, glass, quartzite, marble and brass.AdH House, which was completed last year, is a two-storey home in the residential neighbourhood of Lomas de Chapultepec and features a dark grey facade and black aluminium shutters across its two monolithic volumes.

      Top: a marble and glass coffee table centres the living room. Above: Simon Hamui created a series of built-in shelves for the home
      Simon Hamui was commissioned by the owners to create a number of custom furniture pieces that would complement and complete the work of Francesc Rife Studio, which saw the interior finished with cream coloured walls, natural stone and wood surfaces.
      “After working together in the past, [the clients] called on us to design and execute some of the key pieces of millwork and furniture throughout this house, as well as to help them curate and integrate their art collection with the millwork and interior,” explained Simon Hamui who founded his eponymous studio in 1991.
      “The house, which is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture by Francesc Rife, has very clean and minimalistic lines and we needed to strike a fine balance by complementing his architecture and integrating furnishings that amplified the owner’s lifestyle and personal partiality.”

      A quartzite lamp helps to prop up the glass tabletop

      In the living room, the firm created a custom coffee table and matching bench made from honed, grand antique marble and starphire glass — a brand of low-iron, high-clarity glass. It features sculptural solid brass legs and an integrated quartzite lamp, which also serves as a support for the tabletop.
      “To add an element of symmetry, we used the same quartzite featured on the coffee table for the adjacent bar mirrors and the aged brass on the bar’s base,” added Hamui.

      A slatted divider created privacy in the dining room
      A slatted screen divider in the dining room serves as an architectural element that divides the main hallway and living room from the dining room. Its aged brass frame encompasses smoked glass and thin wood slats that provide privacy in the dining room while still allowing light to filter through.
      On the dining room side, an aged eucalyptus wood console with a grey quartzite countertop and brass detailing is integrated into the room divider.

      Display cases in the wine cellar are lit by LED strips
      These same materials are mirrored in the dining table with its stone top and removable extensions made of smoked eucalyptus, that help to accommodate larger parties when needed.
      Sitting at either end of the table, the extensions can also be used as consoles for displaying decorative objects.

      A marble table in the cellar can be used for entertaining
      In the house’s glass-walled, temperature-controlled wine cellar, Hamui has installed rectangular wine display cases made from starphire glass. Bottles are stored on inset satin aluminium racks and lit by integrated LED lights.
      “These are designed to display the bottles in the purest way possible,” said Hamui. “The intentional positioning of the bottles creates a rhythmic and ornamental tapestry-like display that decorates the exterior space and draws people in.”
      The cellar also houses a Grigio Carnico marble table that can be used for hosting small gatherings.

      The wood-clad office was conceived in the wake of the pandemic
      The study was not part of the house’s original design but added by the clients after moving in as a direct response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
      Hamui conceived its interior as a functional wooden box, with ceiling and walls clad in eucalyptus and enhanced with micro-perforations and sound insulation to allow for greater privacy.

      The built-in shelves are by Simon Hamui and the chandelier by Jaime Tresserra
      Hamui also added a floor-to-ceiling bookcase lined with suede leather and brass details while an angular, stainless steel chandelier by Barcelona designer Jaime Tresserra hangs above the desk.
      In the family room, a large ​figured eucalyptus bookcase with brass bookstands and LED lighting is built into the wall behind the sofa, housing a textured Jason Martin painting as well as antique atlases. On the other side of the room, a millwork unit houses a TV and desk.

      A eucalyptus bookcase in the living room houses antique atlases
      Hamui’s Mexico City workshop specialises in the design and manufacture of furniture as well as comprehensive interior design projects for private residences, hotels, restaurants, yachts and art galleries.
      Last year, the studio also completed the millwork for a house with huge “beak-like” windows in New York’s Dutchess County, designed by US studio GRT Architects.
      Photography is by Victor Stonem.

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      Ten welcoming living rooms where the fireplace takes centre stage

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      With spring still a few months away in the northern hemisphere, this is the season to snuggle up in front of an open fire. For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten cosy living rooms where the fireplace is at the heart of the interior design.This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased living rooms with calm interiors, peaceful bedrooms, Japandi interiors and domestic bathrooms designed by architects.

      116 Sorauren and 118 Sorauren, Canada, by Ancerl Studio
      The living room of 116 Sorauren Street in Toronto, one of a pair of twin townhouses designed by Ancerl Studio, has been made cosy through the use of natural materials and plenty of textiles.
      A black steel fireplace sits on a cast concrete plinth against the back wall. The plinth extends to create a comfortable nook has where the owners or their guests can warm themselves.
      Find out more about 116 and 118 Sorauren ›

      Three Chimney House, US, by T W Ryan Architecture
      This modernist white-brick house in Virginia (above and top image) has three white chimneys that define its external form. Inside, one of them opens up into this starkly elegant, brick-clad fireplace in the living room.
      Here, tall white walls and ceilings create a contrast with the more traditional upholstered furniture. Warm colours ranging from pale aubergine purple to a mustard yellow were used on the seating by the fireplace, which is practical during cold winter months as well as being a decorative feature all year round.
      Find out more about Three Chimney House ›

      Pound Ridge House, US, by Tsao & McKown
      Tsao & McKown drew on Japanese architectural principles when designing Pound Ridge House. The influence that can be seen in the pared-back fireplace built onto a square stone hearth that sits between the living room and the dining room.
      The design references an irori, a traditional Japanese sunken hearth which is often square in form and set in the middle of a room.
      Smoke is extracted by a bronze flue in the form of a truncated pyramid that hangs from the ceiling of the lounge, which is filled with wood detailing and cream-coloured textiles. A generous skylight lets the light in during the daytime.
      Find out more about Pound Ridge House ›

      Teton House, US, by Olson Kundig
      With views like the ones from Teton House (above and top) in the mountainous terrain of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you don’t need art on the walls. Olson Kundig used floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the vistas. But the view is almost upstaged by a substantial black fireplace in the centre of the glazing.
      The simple form of the fireplace is complemented by leather chairs in warm brown hues as well as wood surfaces and woven textiles, creating an inviting, relaxing atmosphere.
      Find out more about Teton House ›

      House for Grandparents, US, by Dash Marshall
      The renovation of this California farmhouse was informed by the state’s Spanish missions, and its geometric forms and spartan material use reference these religious structures. But there is nothing ascetic about the house’s comfortable living room, where a broad brick fireplace sits on one wall.
      A colourful painting and rug add vibrancy to the room, while two cylindrical metal coffee tables pick up the warm glow of the fire.
      Find out more about House for Grandparents ›

      Smith Residence, Canada, by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple
      Inside this holiday home on the Nova Scotia peninsula, a massive fireplace keeps the living room toasty. Made from granite that was sourced from a nearby quarry, the fireplace features one aperture for the fire and one for storing logs.
      Its sits underneath the black steel trusses that support the exposed roof. In front of the fire, a soft high-pile rug and two brown leather sofas complete the design of the living room.
      Find out more about Smith Residence ›

      Wasatch House, US, by Olson Kundig
      An enormous bronze flue dominates the library in this Utah home by Olson Kundig, which has the feel of a living room thanks to a wide leather sofa and two cognac-coloured leather chairs. These sit in front of the unusual portrait-shaped fireplace, which is set in the monolithic flue and fronted by double doors.
      A colour palette of dark browns and greys create a pleasantly laid-back atmosphere in the capacious room while ceiling-height bookcases flank the fireplace.
      Find out more about Wasatch House ›

      Lincoln, Belgium, by Notan Office
      Modernist architect and designer Alvar Aalto inspired the design for this fireplace, set in a rooftop extension in Brussels by Notan Office.
      It wraps around a corner and was built from concrete and ceramic construction blocks in warm orange and pale grey hues. “A fireplace is a kind of artifactual element in a house,” architect Frédéric Karam told Dezeen. “I wanted to express a sense of organic and rough feeling for such a function,”
      Find out more about Lincoln ›

      Little Peek, US, by Berman Horn Studio
      Little Peek is a holiday home in Vinalhaven off the coast of Maine, designed by the Berman Horn Studio founders for themselves.
      Designed to be used in all seasons, the house nevertheless has a summer feel thanks to its light interior and many generous windows, as well as an enclosed patio.
      But in the open-plan kitchen and living room, a built-in fireplace set in a narrow stonework flue helps keep the room warm during cold New England winters.
      Find out more about Little Peek ›

      Casa Prè de Sura, Italy, by Casati
      A freestanding fireplace in the form of a trapezoidal prism decorates this living room in Italy, set in a gabled house by Austrian architects Casati that has rough limestone interior walls.
      The white fireplace functions as a decorative piece as well as a heat source. It has been cleverly designed with a side ledge on which the owners can stack wood. Beige and cream hues were used for the colour palette, matching both the fireplace and the limestone walls.
      Find out more about Casa Prè de Sura ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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      Dezeen Awards 2021 is open for entries

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      Dezeen Awards 2021 is now accepting entries! Enter before 31 March to take advantage of discounted early entry fees.Dezeen Awards is the most popular and accessible celebration of the world’s best architecture, interiors and design projects and studios.
      Enter before 31 March to save 20 per cent
      Standard entry prices remain unchanged for the fourth year in a row, making Dezeen Awards the most affordable and accessible awards programme in architecture and design.
      It costs just £100 per category for small companies and £200 for large companies to enter before the standard entry deadline on 2 June. But studios can save 20 per cent by entering before 31 March.
      Create an account or log in to start your entry ›
      Categories for architecture, interiors and design
      There are 36 categories this year: 10 each for architecture, interiors and design projects and two categories in each sector honouring the best established and emerging studios.
      Find out about the categories ›
      New sustainability categories
      This year we’re introducing sustainability categories for architecture, interiors and design. These three categories, sponsored by design platform Dodds & Shute, will celebrate projects that strive to reduce their impact on the earth and which make positive social and environmental contributions.
      About our judges
      Entries will be judged by a diverse panel of influential industry professionals, made up of 75 architects, designers, journalists and academics from all over the world.
      Past judges have included Norman Foster, who described Dezeen Awards as an “extraordinary endeavour”.
      Other 2020 judges included Paola Antonelli, Farshid Moussavi and Issa Diabaté.
      Keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming announcements about our 2021 judges.
      Why enter Dezeen Awards?
      Dezeen Awards is organised by Dezeen, the world’s most popular and influential architecture and design magazine, and judged by a panel consisting of leading figures from the architecture and design world. This means that Dezeen Awards has unprecedented credibility and reach.
      Every longlisted entry will be published on the Dezeen Awards website and will get prestigious Dezeen Awards 2021 badges to share on social media and their own websites.
      All shortlisted entries will be featured in full in an article on Dezeen and get further badges.
      Shortlisted entries will also be entered into the Dezeen Awards 2021 Public Vote, through which the public can choose their favourite projects and studios.
      Winners will receive a hand-made trophy and a certificate.

      Winners received a bespoke, handcrafted trophy designed by AtelierNL

      Past winners have described how winning a Dezeen Award has transformed their careers. “This is one of the few awards I have won that I can associate with new opportunities arising directly as a result of winning,” said Joe Doucet, winner of seating design of the year in 2019 with his anti-terrorism public bench.
      Last year’s Dezeen Awards attracted over 4,300 entries from 85 different countries, making it one of the largest and most international awards programmes in the industry.
      Dates and prices
      Once you have paid for your Dezeen Awards entry, you do not need to make any further payments. The awards will be announced online. If we are able to hold a physical awards ceremony there may be a charge, but attendance is not obligatory.
      Our low entry prices are designed to attract smaller studios and avoid categories being dominated by large companies that can afford to enter multiple categories.
      Find out about dates and prices ›
      Join our mailing list
      Subscribe to our mailing list to receive reminders about deadlines and regular information about Dezeen Awards including news of judges.
      Sign up now ›
      Questions?
      If you have any questions, please email awards@dezeen.com and someone from the team will get back to you.
      Good luck with your entries! More

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      Friedman Benda showcases furniture pieces with a story to tell

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      A mirror-cum-observatory and a lockdown lounge chair with an integrated bar feature in an exhibition at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery that explores the value of design objects beyond just their practical use.The show, titled Split Personality, was curated by Alice Stori Liechtenstein and features furniture and homewares from 17 different designers.
      Each piece was chosen because it has a symbolic value beyond what meets the eye, exploring topics from immigration to biodiversity loss through different materials and production methods.

      Top image: Split Personality is on view at Friedman Benda until 6 February. Above: Toomas Toomepuu contributed to the show

      The exhibition focuses on the stories the objects have to tell, Liechtenstein told Dezeen, using chairs as an example.
      “There are thousands of chairs and the most comfortable chair has already been invented and reinvented 100 times,” she said.
      “So a lot of the time, what we want when we’re looking for a chair is not just something to sit on. But what makes an object particularly interesting are the stories it is able to tell once you have the time to discover them.”
      In this way, Liechtenstein explains, the exhibition rejects the strict Bauhausian ideal of form over function. “We’re over it,” she said. “I see the message as a form of function.”

      Limited grasses table by Mischer’Traxler
      Several of the projects on show are the culmination of extensive research projects, among them a coffee table from Viennese duo Mischer’Traxler. Protruding from its gridded frame are brass effigies of a near-extinct grass species known as agropyron cristatum, of which only around 200 specimens remain in Austria.

      Tour of design exhibition at historic Austrian castle with curator Alice Stori Liechtenstein as part of VDF

      “They are only making five editions of this table because on each table there are 40 brass stems. So it’s a way of representing the number of plants that really exist in nature,” Liechtenstein explained.
      “I think this kind of exercise is very useful because a lot of the time, we don’t realise what a number means until we see it visualised.”

      Christien Meindertsma grew the flax for this rug herself
      Disillusioned with the fact that she couldn’t trace a piece of linen yarn back to the flax field where it originated, Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma decided to acquire a piece of land and grow the crop herself.
      From her yield she created a chair and a series of textiles, including a shaggy rug on show at the gallery.
      “For her, it’s not just about one rug,” said the curator. “The real design project is about making sure that she knows where the material is coming from, that it’s treated properly, that there are no damages to the environment.”

      Commonplace Studio’s Observatorium Mirror shows images of space
      A more abstract exploration of our relationship to nature is the Observatorium Mirror by Commonplace Studio – an obsidian screen in which Liechtenstein says you can see yourself “just well enough to put lipstick on”.
      Simultaneously, the mirror also shows NASA images of far-flung galaxies that visitors can zoom in and out of using a focus pin.
      “We’re so used to seeing ourselves in the mirror and the mirror is all about you. Whereas in this instance, you’re really confronting yourself with the immensity of the universe and reflecting on the larger world,” added the curator.

      Arnaud Eubelen’s designs make use of abandoned building materials
      Other designs subvert function in a literal way by repurposing objects for new uses, with Belgian designer Arnaud Eubelen assembling a light and side table from discarded building materials.

      Jonathan Trayte turns the American landscape into fantastical furniture

      Similarly, Eindhoven-based Ismaël Rifaï made a bench by taping blankets and plastic bottles to an iron trolley frame, inspired by the inventive ways that goods are transported across the border in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta in Morocco.

      Ismaël Rifaï’s bench uses rugs as upholstery
      A small room off the main exhibition space is covered from floor to ceiling with checkered, plastic mesh bags, as is the furniture within it, creating the claustrophobic impression of stepping inside one of the bags themselves.
      The installation by South African photographer Nobukho Nqaba is based on her Umaskhenkethe photo series and explores how these bags have come to act as emblems of migration, known by different names around the world – such as Ghana Must Go bags in Nigeria.

      Nobukho Nqaba created her installation especially for the exhibition
      “They are always associated with immigrants and the people who use them are seen as homeless. And at the same time, the bags are a symbol of home because their home, most of the time, is carried in these bags,” said Liechtenstein.
      “Although Nobukho is not a classic furniture designer, I think she really has a sense for what the symbology of an object can be.”

      Jonathan Trayte’s Kula Sour was another commission
      Several pieces were commissioned especially for the exhibition, including a lounge chair by British designer Jonathan Trayte that can help to create a sense of escapism for its user during lockdown.
      It features a built-in lamp, a bar with an icebox and a side table on which to prop a laptop, creating a kind of island onto itself that allows the user to pretend they’re somewhere more exotic.

      Wieki Somers also contributed to the show
      Also taking part in the exhibition are Wieki Somers, Rich Aybar, Thomas Ballouhey, Emma Fague, Fernando Laposse, Chris Schanck, Brynjar Sigurðarson, Katie Stout, Soft Baroque and Toomas Toomepuu.
      Split Personality is on view at Friedman Benda Gallery in New York until 6 February 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Five architecture and design events this February from Dezeen Events Guide

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      Stockholm Design Week, a live-streamed talk with Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and MoMA’s exhibition about systemic racism in the built environment are among the physical and digital events listed in Dezeen Events Guide taking place in February.

      Above: Norwegian Presence is hosting a series of online events. Top image: Amanda Williams is among the artists and designers contributing to MoMA’s Reconstructions exhibition
      Madrid Design Festival1 to 28 February
      Spain’s preeminent design festival is putting on a hybrid programme this year, with four production units set to produce more than 100 pieces of audiovisual content to be shared online. This includes interviews and live shows, as well as a series of behind-the-scenes films showcasing the creative and production processes of 45 local designers.
      Meanwhile, a series of showrooms and exhibitions will open their doors in real life, and IKEA is set to host an event called Redesigning Tomorrow, where basque filmmaker Pedro Aguilera will debut a documentary exploring how we must change our cities and homes to save the planet.
      The film will feature Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch, architect Stephanie Chaltiel and IKEA’s deputy managing director for products and supply chains Jeanette Skjelmose among others. The premier will also act as a jumping-off point for a series of in-depth talks and roundtables.
      It’s Freezing in LA! IGTV Interview Series4 to 25 February
      Every Thursday in February, independent climate change magazine It’s Freezing in LA! is hosting talks on Instagram TV (IGTV) that will explore different approaches to climate activism.
      Designer Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg is set to discuss her latest project, an algorithm-designed garden in Cornwall that is optimised for pollinators rather than humans and explores possible solutions to biodiversity loss.
      And on 11 February, London mayoral candidate and co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Sîan Berry will discuss how we can solve the capital’s housing crisis while still reducing CO2 emissions.

      Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg “trying to evoke emotion” with Better Nature show

      Stockholm Design Week8 to 14 February
      While the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair was cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the city’s design week that takes place concurrently every year is still going ahead.
      A socially distanced “digital and city edition” will see visitors avoid the crammed Stockholmsmässan exhibition centre on the outskirts of Stockholm in favour of a pared-back programme of exhibitions, showroom presentations and online talks in the centre of town.
      Highlights include a presentation of work from the winners of this year’s Young Swedish Design awards, created in collaboration with the IKEA Museum, and an exhibition by Misschiefs – a platform dedicated to female, trans and non-binary creatives working at the intersection of craft and design.
      Circular design vs mass production: Norwegian Presence 202118 February
      The Norwegian Presence showcase, which is a much-anticipated part of Salone del Mobile every year, is championing some of the country’s most noteworthy designers and manufacturers through a programme of online events this year.
      The first of three half-day events, taking place on 18 February, will bring together young, up-and-coming designers like Poppy Lawman with major industrial producers such as contract furniture manufacturer NCP, which makes Snøhetta’s S-1500 chair from old fishing nets.
      Through a series of round tables, panel talks and newly-released films, the event will explore the circular economy and how a closed-loop philosophy and sustainable material sourcing can be integrated into production processes of any scale.
      The remaining two events will take place in March and April, with a focus on craftsmanship and the merging of homes and workspaces as a result of the pandemic.

      The Museum of Modern Art will release an exhibition catalogue to go along with the exhibition

      Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America20 February to 31 May
      An upcoming exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York will look at how systemic racism and discrimination have influenced the design of American cities and their architecture.
      With the help of ten newly commissioned projects by the likes of Amanda Williams, Olalekan Jeyifous and landscape artist Walter Hood, the show will look at how these conditions have impacted the black community and how black cultural spaces can act as sites of liberation and resistance.
      The show marks the fourth instalment in MoMA’s Issues in Contemporary Architecture series, which focuses on pressing current issues such as rising sea levels, population growth and the foreclosure crisis.
      About Dezeen Events Guide
      Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.
      The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks, as well as up-to-date information about what events have been cancelled or postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
      Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen’s discretion. Organisers can get enhanced or premium listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.
      In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.

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