For the second year in a row, JONALDDUDD is back to disrupt a few commonly held perceptions regarding New York Design Week. Instead of the big fairs and showcases that define much of the design exhibition landscape, JONALDDUDD focuses on featuring emerging creatives who work in the interstitial territory between art and design—and are unafraid to offer a critical perspective on both disciplines through their exploratory, personal work.  

Coordinated by artist/designer trio Chris Held, Lydia Cambron, and Ben Garthus, the show this year features the work of 10 hybrid creatives whose practice uses the language of furniture and housewares to explore formal and conceptual innovations. We sat down with the three on the eve of the show's opening to find out more about their mission and ideas. 

Core77: Give us a little background about JONALDDUDD and how it started for readers who might not be familiar.

JONALDDUDD began in 2015 with its first exhibition as part of New York Design week. The show was conceived as a platform to showcase individuals working in art or design, but specifically those whose practices transcend the boundaries between art, design, and craft.

Quiet Riot by April Childers

Are there any specific themes or ideas running through this year's show?

The theme is always to bring together works of various intentions that, as a group, become an extremely diverse collection of objects and furniture along the spectrum of art/design/craft. The common thread is the variety in approach and material. We appreciate that the diversity and range of concept allow the works to comingle and overlap in presentation. By placing these works in close proximity on a unified foundation/backdrop, the divisions in context are stripped away, and viewers are able to make associations that might not otherwise be seen.

The Journey (Series 2) by Ying Chang, a series of ceramic works and shipping cases—ceramics were sent overseas in these metal shipping cases in order to create a truly one-of-a-kind surface finish for each piece. 

What can we expect to see at this year's JONALDDUDD Show?

Last year we featured the work of 28 artists/designers through open call and some solicitation. This year we selected 10 individuals/studios and invited them to show multiple works. Unlike last year, we sought to exhibit "collections" from each that represented larger bodies of work. Some of the exhibitors identify as designers, and some as artists, while others still lie somewhere in between. This year, as with last year, each exhibitor works with design and furniture––either as their primary subject, or as a point of departure. Our goal is to showcase the variety in practice and approach between individuals, in addition to the form and material diversity among the entire group.

A collaboration by Lighht and Mithras Candle

001 by Lighht

What do you hope JONALDDUDD will offer to the New York Design Week landscape?

The show offers a collection of work from individuals whose practices blur (or ignore) the traditional boundaries between art, design and craft. We've sought out individuals whose practices explore media and subject, but who are seemingly less influenced by commerce and trend driven constraints. Ideally, the show highlights this crossover territory by offering a democratic platform to artists using design language as well as designers exploring the more conceptual niches of their own practices.

JONALDDUDD will be open to the public on Friday, May 13th starting at 6:30 PM and on May 14th-15th by appointment only.