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An Immersive Sound Bath and Objects That Surprise at Sight Unseen OFFSITE 2016

By Allison Fonder - May 19, 2016

Linguistic Inspired Chairs by Brendan Timmins Timmins, a Brooklyn based designer, said he most enjoys making work with a imperfect element to demonstrate the human hand behind it— for this series of chairs, he was primarily inspired by typological forms. Allison Fonder 1 of 48

Ouli for Arborite Laminates LA-based designer Brooke Intrachat of Ouli design studio created a series of furniture pieces for the Canadian laminate company Arborite to challenge the aesthetic of the traditional material. Allison Fonder 2 of 48

Ouli for Arborite LA-based designer Brooke Intrachat of Ouli design studio created a series of furniture pieces for the Canadian laminate company Arborite to challenge the aesthetic of the traditional material. Allison Fonder 3 of 48

Ouli for Arborite Another avant-garde piece by Intrachat made from laminate and an elegant burlywood. Allison Fonder 4 of 48

Nap Lab by Various Projects and Print All Over Me A space composed of textiles covered in grid like forms by Various Projects, Print All Over Me and Wallpaper Projects—deemed the "Nap Lab", the project is an immersive space meant for relaxation. Allison Fonder 5 of 48

Object and Totem x Pat Kim Ceramic explorations by Object and Totem are always a favorite and pair beautifully with Pat Kim's wood turned sculptures. Allison Fonder 6 of 48

TOPO Sound Bath New York based architectural studio Leong Leong created an installation sponsored by Ford for OFFSITE—TOPO, an immersive installation made using thousands of foam rollers and mirrors for an abstract fun-house feel. Allison Fonder 7 of 48

Art Objects from Uprise Art Works by ceramic artists Virginia Sin and Saint Karen as part of Uprise Art's booth installation. Allison Fonder 8 of 48

Tetra Shop Smoking Accessories Ashtrays by Andrew Hughes and beautiful glass pipes Allison Fonder 9 of 48

Tetra Shop Tetra's selection of accessories for an elevated smoking experience. Allison Fonder 10 of 48

Ries This new studio based in Buenos Aires, Argentina Allison Fonder 11 of 48

Brendan Timmins This floor light by Timmins cleverly plays with grains of different hardwoods to create this striped pattern. Allison Fonder 12 of 48

JOIN Design's "Reflect" Installation Seattle based design collective JOIN's installation entitled "Reflect" featured work from 16 studios from around the United States. Each designer was asked to design within a specific size and singular material under the "reflect" theme. Allison Fonder 13 of 48

Brian Beck for JOIN A set of toys for the Seattle based designer. Allison Fonder 14 of 48

Look Luk for JOIN This adorable Coin Credenza is an elegant update to your run-of-the-mill piggy bank. Allison Fonder 15 of 48

Crosby Studio's Architecturally Inspired Furniture This architectural studio (based in Moscow and New York) produced a highly stylized collection of furniture for this year's fair. Allison Fonder 16 of 48

Bower Studios This table by Bower makes sure your objects stay where they're supposed to. Allison Fonder 17 of 48

Bower Studios Arch Floor Mirror Installation An illusion of an endless hall of mirrors by Bower Studios with a carpet tile installation by FLOR Allison Fonder 18 of 48

Erich Ginder Lighting Erich Ginder Studio's Hyperlink lighting, a collection of customizable LED lights that link together like chains. Allison Fonder 19 of 48

Chiaozza x Studio Proba The duo behind CHIAOZZA teamed up with New York design studio Studio Proba to create this playful "Suspended Confetti" installation. Allison Fonder 20 of 48

Chiaozza x Studio Proba The duo behind CHIAOZZA teamed up with New York design studio Studio Proba to create this playful "Suspended Confetti" installation. Allison Fonder 21 of 48

Julie Thévenot This New York based artist is known for her experimentation with bold and surprising materials. Allison Fonder 22 of 48

Julie Thévenot This piece was constructed for the purpose of hanging outside on a porch or in a backyard. Allison Fonder 23 of 48

Julie Thévenot A sculpture by Thévenot made out of mixed materials like concrete and clay and airbrushed with a pastel gradient. Allison Fonder 24 of 48

Norma Studio These ultra-cool shelves by Los Angeles based Norma Studioare a simple modular collection of red oak panels and dowels—the shelves are endlessly customizable so you can arrange them in multiple configurations and all the pieces connect using a simple threading system. Allison Fonder 25 of 48

Lighting by Areti Sculptural lighting solutions from Areti, a London based design studio. Allison Fonder 28 of 48

The Land of Nod For Land of Nod's installation, they wanted to make everyone feel like a kid again—sprinkled in the booth were plenty of fun giant sized objects, like the cassette player housed in this Dusen Dusen designed tent. Allison Fonder 29 of 48

The Land of Nod Along with giant pencils, the Land of Nod booth included works by Eric Trine, Jenny Pennywood and Ashley Goldberg. Allison Fonder 30 of 48

Daniel Montgomery for "Furnishing Utopia" The "Furnishing Utopia" installation was a collection of objects designed by 11 different studios who all created pieces inspired by Shaker design. This daybed by Montgomery was inspired by the Shaker's mobile bed frames (which often had wheels on the bottom so they could easily be moved). Allison Fonder 31 of 48

Chris Specce's Re-imagined Swiffer for "Furnishing Utopia" Specce on his Handy Sweeper design: " I think this gets back to the difference between how contemporary society might share the virtue of cleanliness and order with the Shakers, but how we pursue that virtue is quite different. I was interested in the tension that an object like a Swiffer introduces into this product and I think it's funny to imagine something like a Swiffer that is concerned with form, beauty and virtue." Allison Fonder 32 of 48

Ladies & Gentlemen Studio for "Furnishing Utopia" L&G Studio on their Shaker desk: Allison Fonder 33 of 48

Ladies & Gentlemen Studio for "Furnishing Utopia" "The details of this piece were simple, but ingeniously integrated. We wanted our work station to be similarly unassuming, compact, and useful so we created a movable secretary desk whose lid can be folded down to reveal a seated work area complete with cable management and storage for supplies. Additionally, the desk's top surface can be used as a standing height work surface furthering the functionality and versatility of the piece." Allison Fonder 34 of 48

Gabriel Tan for "Furnishing Utopia" Tan's chairs utilize the innovation Shakers are perhaps most famous for: the peg rail. Allison Fonder 35 of 48

Chris Specce for "Furnishing Utopia" Chris Specce's folding stepladder also fits seamlessly on the peg rail. Allison Fonder 36 of 48

Tom Bonamici for "Furnishing Utopia" Bonamici's works were inspired by the Shakers' candle chandeliers: "I loved the idea of a real chandelier, non-electrified. And the sconces seemed so charming, like little water fountains." Allison Fonder 37 of 48

Gabriel Tan Bowls for "Furnishing Utopia" Tan's Petal Baskets made from leather incorporate a snap system that allows them to be packed flat if desired. Allison Fonder 39 of 48

Studio Gorm for Furnishing Utopia Studio Gorm's bench design for the collection was inspired by a Shaker school bench with a removable backrest—"We liked the idea of a bench that could be used with and without a back and would highlight the connection hardware and the use of traditional lap joinery commonly used in their bench construction." Allison Fonder 40 of 48

Hallgeir Homstvedt Toolbox for "Furnishing Utopia" For his toolbox project, Homstvedt was directly inspired by the little details in Shaker objects: "the chest of drawers and more specifically the oversized knobs on many of these pieces was a direct inspiration for my toolbox. The idea of the toolbox itself came from the many containers and storage solutions that can be found in the Shaker archives." Allison Fonder 41 of 48

Studio Gorm Rocking Chair for "Furnishing Utopia" Studio Gorm's rocking chair was a modern reinterpretation of the Shakers' classic design with it's minimal spindle back, but that doesn't mean it wasn't deeply rooted in Shaker tradition: "It is made the same way the Shaker and Windsor chairs would be built, with wedge tenons and bridle joints" says Studio Gorm. Allison Fonder 42 of 48

Zoë Mowat Brushes for "Furnishing Utopia" Mowat's research of Shaker's multiple brush designs inspired her final product: "my aim was to explore the Shaker focus on utility, organization, and cleanliness. The designs were directly inspired by brushes from the archives: a hat brush, a smaller curved bench brush, and traditional dusting brushes. The simple forms came out of the desire to unify the series and emphasize the handles, which are all painted with colors from the traditional Shaker palette." Allison Fonder 43 of 48

Door Stoppers by Gabriel Tan for "Furnishing Utopia" Gabriel Tan's door stoppers (right) alongside some utilitarian Shaker objects that inspired the form. Allison Fonder 44 of 48

Chris Specce's Ice Scrapers for "Furnishing Utopia" This piece by Specce was intended to be an elevated version of a modern-day ice scraper. "My goal is for the things I've designed to conjure these familiar things but present a perhaps more graceful form and elevated materiality and production standard to yield something that is somewhat ridiculous but also an interesting and compelling as objects", he says. Allison Fonder 45 of 48

Studio Tolvanen for Furnishing Utopia The Brother Shelf, created by design duo Mika and Julie Tolvanen, was inspired by utilitarian Shaker shelving—the piece "uses nothing more than the essential geometry needed to stand upright", a series of triangular crossbars that eliminate the need for cross brace hardware. Allison Fonder 46 of 48

A traditional Shaker basket sitting on Studio Tolvanen's shelving system. Allison Fonder 47 of 48

Ladies & Gentleman Studio Woven Stools for "Furnishing Utopia" This New York based studio's designs were inspired by the surprising discovery of color graphic woven chairs within the archives of Shaker objects they researched: "Our stools isolated the woven seat as the main element to create a simple, colorful pair of stools that celebrated the pattern and colors of the technique in a new way. The stools' solid wood structure functions like a canvas frame that highlights the basic beauty of the weaving technique." Allison Fonder 48 of 48

Sight Unseen continues to put their special touch on the world of design with their third installment of their annual OFFSITE design fair. While taking in sprawling views of Bryant Park in Manhattan, visitors were treated to impressive works from emerging designers, established design studios and artists alike. The fair differentiated itself from other events going on during New York Design Week through its immersive installation and somehow fully unified vision despite it broad range of designers and mediums.

Hardcore design devotees could enjoy to expertly crafted works, including but not limited to Furnishing Utopia's impeccably made tables, baskets and everyday tools inspired by Shaker design values while aesthetes could appreciate booths focusing on objects overlooked by modern designers like Tetra—a shop known for their collection of well-designed smoking objects—and immersive installations like Leong Leong's "sound bath" for Ford, built out of thousands of foam rollers and mirrors intended as a refuge from Design Week madness.