Wieki Somers

A few Sundays ago I found myself standing in front of Weiki Somers’ very red “Chinese Stools—Made in China, Copied by Dutch” (2007) at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. I had seen them published in various publications (American Craft, New York Times’ T magazine, etc) but the impact of seeing them twinkling in lineup at full scale stopped me in my tracks. They are casted aluminum from stools that Somers acquired while taking residency in Beijing the summer of 2007. She became curious about the customized street stools and the daily life in the fast growing Beijing metropolis.

Somers explains on her site, “These ancient chairs were often barely recognizable, having undergone so many improvised repairs and modifications. I was struck by their many charming details, which connect the diverse materials and parts, and link them to their respective makers. The stools testify to a long history in which both the maker and the user have left their traces. When I started to purchase some of these stools, the neighbors noticed by admiration, and they all invited me to their homes, where I became acquainted with the many stories attached to them.

Finally I decided to cast a few stools in aluminum. The original stools vanished in the process, but in this way I could preserve their memory from the ravages of time and pay homage to their makers. The colours of the stools refer to the other side of Beijing (some would call it the modern side): the public display of prosperity and pride by putting sparkling extra layers on cars and products.”

A few rooms later I came across Somers’ “High Tea Pot” in “On the table” exhibit showcasing a collection of utensils and dishware from various designers expanding nearly 100 years. As stated on Somers’ website, “A porcelain pig’s scull is a teapot, the tea-cozy is made of rat’s fur.” She explains the piece is about were the ‘tasty and unsavory, harm and delight’ are inseparable and it is her intentions to make “you get curious how the tea actually tastes.” The object isn’t for looking only—the vessel can pour tea!

Somers graduated from Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2000. Her objects are produced mostly as limited productions and collaborates frequently with specialized artisans, ceramicists, etc. You can learn more about her work by clicking here.

The Hourglass by Marc Newson

The Hourglass from Ikepod on Vimeo.

My friend Scott Newlin sent me this video showing the making of one of Marc Newson’s latest projects for Ikepod. The Australian designer revisits the design of the most memorable timepiece—the hourglass. The video is directed by Philip Andleman with music by Philip Glass. It’s stunning. The video documents the creation of the Newson’s hourglass inside the Glaskeller factory in Basel, Switzerland.

Marloes ten Bhömer

Marloes ten Bhömer innovative footwear combines clean lines, materials and construction techniques that are influenced by

design and architecture.

“Her works question our perception of functionality, fusing

art and technology to create an origami like production, working with materials ranging from wood to polyurethane resin,

tarpaulin, steel and fiberglass”, quoted from the Virtual Shoe

Museum.

Alexis Georgacopoulos

The “Blow” bowls caught my attention with its colorful rope handles and hand blown bowls. Maybe with some hope and hinting these vessels will find a place on our dining table. Part of a set of three the bowls are designed and completed in 2008 by Alexis Georgacopoulos who currently lives in Lausanne. The noticeable tension between the hard and soft materials makes this project edgy and playful.

When you get some time I encourage you to visit his site. I’m also including an exhibition project for the Swiss Federal Design Awards at the mudac in Lausanne. The variety of work ranging from graphic design, photography, fashion, etc. is presented in a collection of wooden frames. The size of the wooden structures changes shapes depending on the subject matter.

Studio GORM

Studio GORM is a collaboration between John Arndt and Wonhee Jeong. They met while studying for their masters at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Their office is currently located in Eugene Oregon and are teachers in the product design program at the University of Oregon. Lucky students!

Shown here are two projects: “Flow and the kitchen of terrestrial mechanics” and “Peg”.

The “flow and the kitchen of terrestrial mechanics” project unites nature and technology to efficiently utilize energy, waste, water and other natural resources in a cyclical transformation. This isn’t just a pretty kitchen. Beyond being a place to prepare food the intention is to shed light on how a natural process works, where food is grown, stored, cooked and composted to grow more food. For example the water from the dish rack drips on the plants, which are grown in the planter boxes. The counter top features a built in waste receptacle which dumps the scraps easily during food preparation. Once the receptacle is full it only needs to be tipped to transfer the wasted into the worm bin composter. Yes worms!! This isn’t for the weak at heart. The worms convert the debris into nutrient rich fertilizer which can be put back into the soil to help abundant plant growth.

The flexible furniture system called “peg” with it’s interactive spirit inspires multiple scenarios. The project takes it’s inspiration from a eclectic sources such as the shaker peg rail, the Korean wall hung table, the tinker toy and the lowly shop broom. The mix of materials are unexpected with the combination of laminated chipboard, douglas fir and upholstery. It feels relevant. The storage system is a work of art as it hangs comfortably on the wall. A space could be transformed easily depending on the activity. So smart.

Go to their site and check out their work. I like the shed/shelf and the platform bed projects. Consistently strong. Click.

TAF Architect’s Gabriella Gustafsson and Mattias Ståhlbom

Swedish architecture firm TAF could be described as minimal with a eye for craftsmanship. They find inspiration from simple materials and translate those materials into storytelling experiences. There is always a nod to the handmade which makes it intriguing for me even if it’s machine made. For example in the cuckoo clock project, I like the contradiction and playfulness between the bird’s crude woodwork execution in contrast to it’s refine minimal powder-coated metal house.

To learn more about the talented duo I found an article about TAF on Icon Magazine online.