Design Miami/Basel 2016: Table of Contents

By Aleksandra Szymanska 16 : 06 : 2016 Design Miami/Basel : Fabrica : Luxury

Basel – A new collection of glassware illustrates the power of objects to hold and preserve intangible values.

The designs serve as vessels for abstract notions such as time, sound and memory
Zürich gallery Roehrs & Boetsch invited Fabrica to work on the commission for its first appearance at Design Miami/ Basel

Fabrica for Roehrs and Boetsch by Federica Simoni, Basel

Fabrica for Roehrs and Boetsch by Elise Santangelo, Basel

Fabrica for Roehrs and Boetsch by Giorgia Gasco, Basel

Fabrica for Roehrs and Boetsch by Giorgia Zanellato, Basel

The Table of Contents installation features 14 glass pieces designed by the Fabricanti, members of the prestigious design school and communication research centre established by the Benetton Foundation.

Rather than focusing on the aesthetic qualities of the material, the pieces subvert the archetype of a vessel to create conceptual containers and explore the protective qualities of physical objects.

Traces, a group of three pieces by Pascal Hien, strives to encapsulate the passing of time. The pieces include a glass vase encasing cut lengths of horse hair, a three-legged hourglass and a vessel containing an abstract religious artefact. 22Hz WIthin by Lugh O’Neill seeks to contain the nature of sound – the object itself is a small speaker muted with a thin plastic sheet and encased in a glass dome.

The Big Picture:

Designers and curators are increasingly investigating the emotional value of objects rather than focusing primarily on the aesthetics of luxury. For more on this year’s Design Miami/ Basel keep an eye on our Briefing and Shows sections.