Armour to art: Linking 'Chainmail' with Panorammma Atelier at Galerie Philia

International contemporary design and modern art gallery Philia presented a solo exhibition by Panorammma Atelier (founded by designer and director Maika Palazuelos) titled Chainmail, in their hometown of Mexico City, Mexico, coinciding with Design Week Mexico, which ran from October 7 - November 3, 2024. The show features over a dozen furniture designs and objects by the studio, including iconic pieces such as the Chainmail chair and their latest creation, the Cobweb chandelier. These exceptional works are crafted using a centuries-old technique that involves intricately interlocking metal rings, evoking the artistry and precision of medieval craftsmanship.

"Panorammma does not seek to create objects that exist apart from everyday experience as museum pieces, but objects to be lived and used," their official website informs. "These objects require a commitment on the part of the viewer so that as a user they facilitate the fulfilment of their objective tasks. Activating them by sitting on them, eating with them, drinking from them, turning them on, turning them off, caressing them, sleeping with them, waking up to them. Allowing these objects to intimately affect our behaviours and to be affected by them," it continues.

The design exhibition is hosted in a stunning modern architectural space designed by Estudio Jorge Campos, a multidisciplinary international studio of architects, designers and 3D artists. Celebrating its 12th anniversary, the studio operates out of offices in both Mexico City and Madrid, bringing a distinctive fusion of innovation and craftsmanship to the design world.

Since the start of her practice, the product designer has been captivated by the process of linking multiple rings together to create structural, supportive forms. This fascination with chainmail lies in the material's rich connotations and its diverse possibilities. Chainmail consists of hand-linked rings that form a durable, flexible mesh, draping as fabric while maintaining its strength. Simple in concept yet highly versatile, it carries deep historical significance while taking on a distinctly industrial and modern aesthetic.

Chainmail carries with it a duality of meanings—it symbolises both grandeur and victory, as well as violence. Originally used for armour, its associations have since expanded to include jewellery designs, perforations, restraint, bondage and discipline. The presentation of this material in the throne-like form of the Chainmail chair design invites a confrontation with its taboo associations. Through these product designs, Panorammma Atelier blends the myths of a medieval past with contemporary life, offering a nuanced exploration of how we navigate and interpret our complex present.

"The designer considers the objects resulting from these encounters as pseudo props, which act out connecting bridges between times and creating fissures from which fantasy spills into our reality and informs an imaginative play, a scenography from parallel fiction," the design gallery relays.