Carbon date: Designers draw on Swiss folk tradition

08 : 06 : 2012 Design : Basel : Art Basel

Basel – Studio Formafantasma has created a series of jars and water filters composed of charcoal and mouth-blown glass for Confrontations, a project for Vitra Design Museum showcasing in Design Miami/Basel next week.

The designers were paired with Doris Wicki, one of the only remaining experts in the method of making charcoal through a slow-burning process which takes place outdoors over five to seven days.

The practice is a long-standing Swiss tradition and is also associated with nostalgic ‘happenings’ evocative of folk events, reminiscent of LS:N Global’s Revivalism macro trend.

Olive wood and carbonised oak are paired with the blown glass to form the minimalist vessels. Purified water will be served alongside the exhibition next week, highlighting the mineralising process of the charcoal on the water.

LS:N Global will be reporting from Design Miami/Basel next week, for more coverage keep an eye on our seed and shows section.

Discover More Daily Signals
A daily recap from Web Summit 2025: Resistance rising

Daily Signals

A daily recap from Web Summit 2025: Resistance rising

Day two of Web Summit 2025 was all about resistance and challenging the status quo.
Technology : Global Events : Resistance
The Future Laboratory unpacks Optimised Odysseys report at Breakfast Briefing

Daily Signals

The Future Laboratory unpacks Optimised Odysseys report at Breakfast Briefing

The Future Laboratory, alongside the team behind its trends intelligence platform LS:N Global, hosted its quarterly members-only Breakfast Briefing...
Breakfast Briefing : Global Events : Optimised Odysseys
Stat: One in three dating app users now swipe for career connections

Daily Signals

Stat: One in three dating app users now swipe for career connections

Dating apps are becoming unexpected networking tools. A new ResumeBuilder.com survey of 2,225 users finds that one in three people now use dating a...
Dating : Apps : Tinder
Hyrular launches surreal beauty that breaks the mould

Daily Signals

Hyrular launches surreal beauty that breaks the mould

Hyrular is a new luxury beauty brand bringing a surreal, sci-fi edge to make-up.
Beauty : Wellness : Cosmetics
A daily recap from Web Summit 2025: Circular and creator economies take centre stage

Daily Signals

A daily recap from Web Summit 2025: Circular and creator economies take centre stage

More than 70,000 attendees and 2,500 start-ups have gathered in Lisbon for Web Summit 2025, where circular innovation and the creator economy have ...
Global Events : Technology : Sustainability
Stat: Retailers warned of festive staffing crisis as 73% of employees plan to quit  

Daily Signals

Stat: Retailers warned of festive staffing crisis as 73% of employees plan to quit  

UK retailers could face a staffing crisis ahead of Black Friday and the Christmas rush, as new research from sharetech platform Vestd reveals that ...
Work States : Retail Staff Futures : Workplace
Nike and Palace build a new playground for London’s creative youth

Daily Signals

Nike and Palace build a new playground for London’s creative youth

Nike and Palace have joined forces to launch Manor Place, a free cultural and sporting hub in South London that brings skateboarding, football and ...
Sport : Community : Fashion
Instagram tests algorithm hyper-personalisation to give users more control

Daily Signals

Instagram tests algorithm hyper-personalisation to give users more control

Instagram is experimenting with a new feature that lets users fine-tune what appears in their Reels and Explore feeds by selecting specific topics ...
Technology : Instagram : Social Media
Stat: Health drives brand-switching in South Africa

Daily Signals

Stat: Health drives brand-switching in South Africa

South African consumers are increasingly health-conscious, with 42% of respondents in PwC’s 2025 Voice of the Consumer report citing health benefit...
Health : Statistic : Food
How&How embeds humanity into AI-driven maternal health platform Trellis

Daily Signals

How&How embeds humanity into AI-driven maternal health platform Trellis

xxx
Health : Parenting : Technology
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN