If you were in Chicago attending NeoCon last week, hopefully you had a chance to take a break from the endless hallways of showrooms, get outside in the beautiful 70-degree weather, and attend the Guerrilla Truck Show. Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 marked the 8th annual Guerrilla Truck Show, which has become a staple in Chicago's design week. Every year during NeoCon, one of the largest design trade shows in the country, Fulton Market transforms into a pop-up art and design event with good people watching, a live DJ and food trucks. Exhibitors rent 14ft U-hauls, trucks and trailers, back them up to the Fulton Market loading docks, and transform them into personal gallery spaces.

Ryan Chorbagian of Relevant Reuse

Among the 50 trucks that participated in the show this year, many had spaces and objects made from repurposed materials, specifically wood and metal. One designer, Kendall Karmanian who is primarily known for his photography, mentioned gathering metal scraps from Chinatown to create the Wok Birdcage that was exhibited in his truck. Jacob Wener, a local furniture designer, sources his wood from a company that collaborates with the City of Chicago to buy all the trees that have fallen down throughout the city and resell the wood. Wener says this creates a unique story for each piece of furniture he designs and makes. When he sells a piece of furniture he shares the back-story of the piece to the buyer or if the buyer is not present he includes a document sharing the story of the furniture purchased. Ryan Chorbagian, of the Relevant Reuse truck, creates objects out of found and repurposed materials.

Kendall Karmanian's Wok Birdcage

Jacob Wener (above) and his furniture (below)

Other trucks and designers with heavy foot traffic were the Modern Farm Furniture Truck and Dave Ford. Kyle and Kiel, of Modern Farm Furniture Co., design and make furniture that is easy to assemble with instructions screen printed directly onto the furniture. Dave Ford's Truck Drawing from Chicago to Philadelphia consisted of hanging plastic bottles with led tips that naturally drew on paper according to the movement of the truck, as he traveled round trip from Chicago to Philadelphia.

Dave Ford's Truck Drawing

Kyle and Kiel, of Modern Farm Furniture Co.

Best in Show winners, which were recently published on the Guerrilla Truck Show Facebook page, were Steven Haulenbeek and Michael Savona, Gray Workshop's Kevin Grzyb & Leah Ray, and Charlie McArthur. Congrats to the best in show winners and to Morlen Sinoway Atelier for another successful Guerrilla Truck show. For those who did not have an opportunity to attend, I recommend joining in next year on the excitement of the non-traditional exhibition spaces and awkward maneuvering through the truck exhibition spaces, which is all part of the charm of the Guerrilla Truck show.

Steven Haulenbeek and Michael Savona of ODL

Steven's Photo Paddles were also a hit at Core77's 2010 NY Design Week Party!

Charlie McArthur's Slight Rocker

Bonus! See Previous Editions of the Guerrilla Truck Show!
» ODL STORE at 2011 Guerrilla Truck Show
» Guerrilla Truck Show 2010
» Guerrilla Truck Show 2009