Amorphous shapes, organic materials and primal techniques abound in an exhibition at 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo, dedicated to a new generation of designers that are looking to the past to find inspiration for the future.
Curated by trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, 'Post Fossil: excavating 21st century creation' brings together works by over 70 designers and architects, including Atelier Van Lieshout, Studio Job and Dick van Hoff.
Earth bound materials like minerals and alloys have been reinterpreted, as have traditional glass-making and pottery techniques. Among the 130 works are Pieke Bergmans' amoeba-like, hand-blown 'Crystal Virus' vases and Joris Laarman's skeletal 'Bone' chairs.
Edelkoort sees this excavation of the past as a backlash to pre-financial meltdown excesses. Designers are seeking to 'retrace their roots and research their history, sometimes going back to the beginning of time,' she says. The exhibition is also a collaboration with the Issey Miyake Foundation.
Works include Julia Lohmann's leather-clad 'Cow benches'
Skeletal forms and natural materials abound
The forms on show are irregular, volcanic and primitive, as if formed by nature itself
The show features a selection of hand-blown glass and hand-thrown pottery vessels
The lower level hall features 'Domestic Animals' radiators by Guus van Leeuwen
In the annex of 21_21 Design Sight, designers have incorporated minerals, alloys and crystals into their work
ADDRESS
21_21 Design Sight
9-7-6 Akasaka Minato-ku
Tokyo
-
Audemars Piguet and Kaws have created the Royal Oak Concept watch we didn't know we neededThe Audemars Piguet x Kaws Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Companion' is slick wrist-worn art
-
A friendly rivalry coloured by kinship: Wendy Maruyama and Tom Loeser on their two-artist show'I wanted to make furniture, just not traditional furniture, but weird furniture,' says Wendy Maruyama on ‘Colorama’, a two-artist show presented at design gallery Superhouse (until 11 January 2025)
-
Tranquil and secluded, Lemaire’s new Tokyo flagship exudes a sense of homeIn Tokyo’s Ebisu neighbourhood, Lemaire’s tranquil new store sees the French brand take over a former 1960s home. Co-artistic directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran tell Wallpaper* more
-
Designart Tokyo transforms the city into a museum of creativityDesignart Tokyo presents global design highlights through a series of exhibitions involving global creative talent and traditional Japanese craft
-
Exhibition in Japan celebrates all things EamesTo mark the 80th anniversary of the Eames design office, Tokyo’s Isetan The Space gallery hosts an exhibition (until 5 January 2022), highlighting some of Charles and Ray Eames’ most celebrated designs as well as new editions and collaborations
-
Fritz Hansen Tokyo HQ opens in Kengo Kuma-designed buildingFritz Hansen unveils a new Tokyo HQ, in a building originally designed by Kengo Kuma in 1991. In a new film created to mark the opening, the architect shares his creative vision and his views on both Scandinavian and Japanese design
-
Designart Tokyo transforms the city into a living, multi-sensory museumThe third edition of the fair (18-27 October) showcases over 100 exhibitions across the Japanese capital
-
How Tokyo’s creative universe is evolving at Designart’s second edition -
The things that define you: an exhibition of zakka at 21_21 Design Sight Tokyo -
Tokyo Designers Week 2013: The highs and lows -
Tokyo design fair report, 2012
