Day: September 25, 2021

The Isola Design District empowers artists through tough times. Hence, they created an online exhibition as a response to the pandemic. The digital platform gathers 350 designers and 700 creative projects, making it easy for talents to showcase their art. The in-person event for Isola Design Festival 2021 showcased select pieces at The Stage Four. The inspiring collective installation took place on the first floor of Fabbrica Sassetti, opening a portal towards limitless creativity. We can notice that the artists leave the limits aside while expanding the horizons of modern design. 

The name of this extraordinary exhibition refers to the fourth phase of the sleeping cycle. This stage is when we unleash the imagination, and our creativity has no boundaries. Elif Resitoglu curated this inspiring event, allowing us to set aside the barriers and enter a new reality. 

Are you ready to discover a significant source of design inspiration? In addition, we share the innovative designs and artists featured on Isola Design Festival 2021.

Debora Mirabelli

The H/ORMA Mask expressions bring a modern aspect of apotropaic masks, based on detailed research. The unique design is a creation by Debora Mirabelli, an artist born in Calabria. She managed to pass an unforgettable story of the masks once used to deter the evil spirits.

The artist crafted the modernized version of these historical symbols. She implemented special techniques such as carved mirrors and glass fusion to achieve the desired effect while keeping the authentic elements such as horns and tongue. Furthermore, she interpreted them into a modern piece featuring bold colors and distinctive techniques.

Duplex Studio

Duplex Studio is responsible for the outstanding design of this chair. The creative team gathers the distinctive expertise of four young individuals. Therefore, the joint forces contribute to a unique approach toward furniture design. They tend to understand the current trends but translate them into pieces that stand for uniqueness. The designer chair features a perfect fusion of functionality and aesthetics. 

Studio Noun

While admiring the art featured at Isola Design Festival 2021, the collection by Studio Noun amazed us with a powerful message. Sandra Keja Planken from the Netherlands is an incredible interior designer. She is the founder of the studio that promotes sustainable choices. Her designs have anthropomorphic features, bringing the human touch with each use.

The Lips Chair makes a bold statement, but not only with the outstanding design. She brought the old chair back to life with pipes and carton boards. The chair conveys a strong message, sharing the idea of updating your home in creative ways. The Lips Tapestry is a piece authentic for her sustainable tapestry collection. The inspiration comes from the male and female features, conveyed into a design that makes you feel loved and kissed. The Flow Tapestry is one of Sandra’s powerful paintings in the area of Female Art. All Eyes On The World Tuft Pillow completed the exclusively curated collection of sustainable furniture and decor.

Teun Zwets

Every corner of Isola Design Festival 2021 reveals a unique story. In the photo, you can notice the Bubble Lamp by Teun Zwets, a remarkable piece created with two-component resin. The metal wire defines the shape of the bubble, providing a sturdy frame for the lamp.

This artist has a unique approach to creating, which fuses speed and practical solutions. He crafts most of his interior pieces in less than one day while being mindful of the practical aspects. The Tube Chair is another impressive interior piece, where the artist didn’t follow a sketch or model. The designer followed his intuition while using the tools and materials he already had available at the studio. 

The Glass Apprentice

Displayed alongside The Bubble Lamp, the glass figures make a remarkable statement. The Glass Apprentice from Barcelona, Spain, is responsible for the bizarre glass figures. Prosper Riba Vilardell plays with blown glass while getting inspiration from the Mediterranean. He lets the cane shape the glass freely, resulting in natural forms. The Spanish artist highlights the importance of constant learning and experimenting. Hence, this designer continues to craft as an apprentice. 

Tana Design Studio

Anoa is an impressive furniture piece by Tana Design Studio based in Caserta, Italy. The artist relies on using recycled materials, turning them into functional pieces for everyday use. The Anoa is an impressive furniture piece by Tana Design Studio based in Caserta, Italy. The artist relies on using recycled materials, turning them into functional pieces for everyday use. The displayed design features convertible layers in vivid colors, a versatile piece that will complement indoor and outdoor spaces. 

Mikel Peruch

Mikel Peruch is a product designer based in Milan who loves to experiment with materials and shapes. The Sedia Manifesto came from the collaboration with the brand HG/LF. Crafted from aluminum and thermochromic fabric, it is an industrial-style piece with minimalist aesthetics. 

Studio Speciaal

The Heavy Chair is a stunning interior piece found at the Isola Design Festival 2021. The skilled artists at Studio Speciaal from the Netherlands crafted a remarkable piece with clean lines and distinctive textures. They made the piece from concrete, without any structure for support. The secret is in the specific shape that brings balance, as well as the weight of concrete. 

Dorian Etienne and Cordelia Faure

Dorian Etienne is the name behind the remarkable design, in collaboration with Cordelia Faure. He tends to make an ideal harmony between traditional and modern, a principle present in his works. The Lukang chair is a perfect example of his talent. The minimalist design features loofah fibers woven on an aluminum frame. We love how this talented duo fused the environment-friendly aspect and premium quality. Besides, they never compromised comfort. 

Aaron Chai

Aaron Chai is a designer based in Seoul, Korea. We couldn’t miss the outstanding chair from his The Texture Sponge Series. He played with a carefully selected mix of flour paste, acrylic paint, and epoxy to bring out the natural texture.  

 

We hope that you enjoyed the creative artwork and designer furniture featured at this event. Don’t forget to keep up with similar content on Talk Carpet Blog if you like our story! 

 

We attended the postponed 17^th Biennale of Architecture in Venice 2021 and were truly amazed. Curated by Hashim Sarkis, the exhibition questions “How will we live together?”. Initially asked in 2019, Sarkis’ question referenced the societal impacts of global crises, including climate change and political chaos. However, since then, the world has faced another catastrophe in which we were forced to spend a year living apart: COVID-19. As such, this year’s theme couldn’t be more relevant, casting irony on our separation from one another throughout the pandemic. Now is the time when living together and finding connections with each other and our spaces are paramount.

The Biennale of Architecture in Venice, 2021 is subdivided into five, each questioning living together differently. These are Among Diverse Beings, As New Households, As Emerging Communities, Across Borders, and As One Planet. In total, 112 participants from 46 different countries partook in the exhibition, including Hashim Sarkis himself. Here’s a look at our favorite works unveiled and the answer to the all-important question: How will we live together?

Timeless Theme Orchestrating Solutions

The theme selected by Hashim Sarkis, “How will we live together?” is a timeless and urgent question. Having been asked throughout history, humans have yet to find an answer. Instead, political divides worsen, global inequalities are becoming more polarized, and climate change is at its pinnacle. However, the question is as much spatial as it is political. The Biennale of Architecture in Venice, 2021, showcases the link between architecture and solutions to ongoing global issues. It is inspired by the radicalization of younger generations and the role of architecture in dealing with these challenges. And, according to Sarkis, design, and architecture are primary tools in repairing inequality.

Finding Human Connection Through Architecture

The Biennale of Architecture in Venice, 2021, opens at the human scale with the Among Diverse Beings exhibit. The section looks at the barriers that exist between people. It is filled with human figures and intricate installations that look towards finding solutions. Silk Road Works by Austrian designer Azra Aksamija is one of our favorites, discussing cultural bias. In particular, it seems at the marginality of Islamic identities and how wearing headscarves is often seen as a threat. In Aksamija’s design, the unifying position of the four figures in builders’ outfits represents the construction of an inclusive society. In this world, marginalized cultures and religions don’t exist.

Heavy Duty Love by Lucy McRae also looks at the relationship between people. Instead of cultural bias, her memory foam installation deals with separation and the need for human touch. Her work looks at a wholly redefined future where her squishy installation replaces the need for human intimacy. In the end, could our need for love be replaced by machines?

Living in Harmony with All Species

The project not only looks at our connections with other humans but also all species. Two works that discuss humans living with other organisms are Variations on a Bird Cage and Alive: A New Spatial Contract for Multispecies Architecture. Studio Ossidiana curates the former. It reimagines the archetype of a cage both physically and symbolically. Rather than a formal encloser, the studio transforms it into a space that allows different species to connect. The latter is by The Living, which focuses on people residing in harmony with microbial communities. Its hive-like structure is made from porous materials that provide optimal living conditions for microbes. In this way, this new spatial concept serves a dual purpose; providing spaces for humans and microbes simultaneously. At the same time, it deals with the idea of living together and interspecies exchange.

Grove by Philip Beesley & Living Architecture Systems Group takes on the limitations between humans and animals alike. The installation at the Biennale of Architecture in Venice, 2021, is made from floating columns and mesh cloud-like canopies. This is paired with a 3D soundscape, a light display, and video footage. It asks us to question why we live inside boundaries and walls, segregating ourselves from one another and nature. Grove casts a vision for the future where we live in intertwined, open, and exchanging environments.

Modular & Flexible Home Design Solutions

As New Households at the Biennale of Architecture in Venice, 2021 looks at diversifying the spaces in which we live. It deals with the challenges of adapting to new demographics and societal needs. One ongoing theme is the idea of modular design solutions offering flexibility. Micro-Urbanism by SSD uses this concept for its design inspiration. The studio proposes a new take on housing by combining smaller micro-units to create larger inhabitable spaces. This allows a new level of flexibility, a challenge that static urban architecture is currently facing with the ongoing societal changes.

AW-ARCH further looks at how small changes affect the big picture. In their work House+Plus, the studio uses modular furniture that allows interiors to respond to the particular needs of the inhabitants. It offers a solution to designing accessory dwelling units in the US, including tiny homes within pre-existing architecture. However, this solution could be repurposed for many shared and small living spaces worldwide.

Shared Spaces and Interconnected Communities

Rather than thinking small and modular, other curators’ inputs to the As New Households exhibit were inspired by thinking big. One Open Tower by Nicholas Laisne Architectes is an example of answering the question by taking things vertically. Their five-meter tall model represents a tower block for use in urban environments. It works on the idea of incorporating shared spaces into a residential setting. The goal is to help form vertical communities rather than a tower of isolated homes and apartments. This way, we can connect and live with each other in harmony.

After the House: Privacy in a Shared World by Fernanda Canales also depicts a future of shared spaces. The project goes one step further, recognizing we share play and cities and air, water, and essential resources.

New Materials Offering Radical Solutions

Interwoven at the Biennale of Architecture in Venice, 2021, further blurs the lines between households and private-public boundaries. This time, the effect is achieved through the use of materials. Leonmarcial Arquitectos symbolizes this using wooden building blocks that merge the outside and inside worlds. By removing physical boundaries, people can interact and co-exist with ease. To apply this solution to real life, we need to go back to the basics. We must alter the building blocks that make up our societies and current architectural models. In this way, the use of wooden blocks in the design is even more fitting.

Material Culture: Rethinking The Physical Substrate For Living Together supports this idea, looking at how new materials help connect people. The installation by Achim Menges is made mainly from Maison Fiber made from glass and carbon fiber. This creates open and more communal, interconnected spaces. From an environmental standpoint, it also tackles the issues of climate change. Each building uses a minimal amount of Maison Fiber and reduces environmentally harmful materials used in construction. This radical solution could hold answers to the architecture of our future.