Core77

"Dexter" by Andreas Farkas. An interlocking stool with a strong graphic silhouette, the "Dexter" recalls the string-like, metal furniture found in personal and publis spaces in Sweden. Can be used as a stool, bench (when connected) or shelf (when stacked).

Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, the Stockholm-based design school, showcased 13 student works at Spazio Rossana Orlandi under the exhibition theme Design for a Liquid Society. The show took inspiration from the Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman's phrase "liquid modernity," an observation that individuals are more and more involved in planning their lives and careers through short-term projects and episodes.

This shifting terrain creates an interesting challenge for designed objects, putting into question their core functionalities, and demanding both nostalgia and future thinking from the same objects. The students of Konstfack explore the implications of a liquid society—as commentators, navigators and dreamers through a vivid collection of furniture that addresses the demands of today while considering the possibilities of tomorrow.

Design for a Liquid Society
presented by Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design
Spazio Rossana Orlandi
via Matteo Bandello 14/16
Through April 22nd

"Warp" by Oscar Sintring. A shelf and hanger system that pays homage to craft and the DIY movement by employing a simple wood and yarn system that packs easily, but requires the owner to weave all the supporting shelves and surfaces. "The process is similar to weaving the surface of a chair," explains the designer.

"San Francisco" by Asa Agerstam. Crafted from solid foam, the "San Francisco" takes the brief of a Liquid Society quite literally. Based on a popular gin cocktail with the same name, the "San Francisco" is a nostalgic piece for Agerstam as she recalls the special cocktails her parents would make for friends and family—the gradient color of the stool looks like a tropical cocktail.

"Confession" by Nick Ross. A microenvironment for a meeting, quick personal conversation or private space, "Confession" addresses the rise of open plan interiors and the problems that have arisen accordingly. "Confession" is a furniture archetype for the future, "remind[ing] us of what we lose in the era of shared and open communication."

"CONST" by Ploypan Theerachai. The CONST lamp breaks down the idea behind a desk lamp into its three basic elements: base, body and shade, and injects a shot of "play" into the design process. Theerachai's marble base can be used as storage for loose pencils while weighting down the octagonal wood body that adjusts depending on your preference. The metal shade provides a colorful and fun finish for the lamp remniscent of Legos.

"Cheap Ass Elites" by Sarah Yen Panya. A comment on high and low, Panya takes throwaway plastic household objects—storage and laundry baskets—and combines them with the legs and bases of "high-end" wood chairs.

"Fold" by Anita Johannessen. The origami-like, modular acoustic panle system is constructed from sound absorbing materials accented with aluminum edges that can be turned around to create a simple concave and convex pattern. Can be used as a room divider as well.

"Variety" by Lisa Högberg. A family of nesting chairs that would have Goldilocks jealous! Accomodating a variety of shapes and sizes, "Variety" is multifunctional and can also be used as a side table or display surface.

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