Adorno’s ‘Voyage’ steps out of the digital gallery into a physical display

“After all, is there any person so unhappy, so abandoned, that he doesn’t have a little den into which he can withdraw and hide away from everyone? Nothing more elaborate is needed for the journey,” An excerpt from Xavier de Maistre in his book ‘A Journey Around my Room’ (1790) reads where he addresses his four-walled confinement as a complimentary tour. Having gone through two-year-long isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic, one thing that punctuated as a learning experience is that being locked into the confines of one’s home is nothing less than an opportunity to learn, introspect and grow. Designers and curators piled high and set askew to reflect on their perception of contemporary isolation, despite the different ways people spent their time in isolation. Adorno, a digital gallery for collectible design and craft, gives the ‘Voyage’ collection a physical curation with the help of Anja Radović and Urška Krivograd.

“Although words such as ‘lockdown’, ‘quarantine’ and ‘self-isolation’ have a negative connotation, we wanted to focus more on the bright side of the experience we went through: to embrace what we already have, celebrate and find inspiration in objects that decorate our homes and are making it easier for our minds to relax, wonder, and travel,” says Radović and Krivograd. The curated selection of Slovenian collectible designs was created in a collaboration between the Center for Creativity, a national business accelerator for creative professionals in Slovenia , and the upcoming Biennial of Design/BIO27, both under the auspices of MAO/Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana.

The Slovenian collection was digitally launched in June 2021 and will now be displayed at the ‘Created in Slovenia’ exhibition from May 27, 2022, till October 2nd, 2022. Each object is a lens into the minds of creative designers who delved into the changes that have been made to the living environments so as to accommodate a multitude of demands, including working, learning, living, resting, exercising, and socialising. Inspired by Xavier de Maistre’s 1790 book ‘A Journey Around my Room’, curators Anja Radović and Urška Krivograd worked with design studios including Brajak Vittberg, Naturamorta, Salto Dionys, Kolektiv DVA, Gašper Kunšič among others.

The Miami Table Lamp and the Isola Console Table

The multi-hued sky of Miami is among its many attractions, along with its pristine beaches and dazzling nightlife. Design Studio Brajak Vittberg drew inspiration from the vibrant Miami sky and designed the unique Miami table lamp and the Isola table. The lamp is created using plexiglass and dichroic foil which helps it in lighting up any space with a multi-coloured visual experience. The rainbow reflective foil offers a different experience from different angles thus creating endless possibilities of light effects. Alongside, the console table has been created using two pieces of laminated glass with holographic foil. When placed in a certain setting, the phydigital, floating impact of the table is worth spending a fortune on!

The Molecule Chair

Is it possible to imagine a piece of seating furniture as a pixelated grid? Nejc Prah, a Slovenian designer and visionary artist, raises the stakes in furniture design with a unique chair made of spheres. Even though at first, the chair appears to be an unusual structure, speculations make an enticing case completed with 36 perfectly rounded spheres fit together in a channel grid to present a revolutionary chair. The Molecule chair rightly justifies the fact that primary elements, when put together can shape up numerous forms and possibilities. Produced in Ljubljana, the contemporary chair is created with a concealed steel structure that holds the ‘molecules’ together. It is then painted grey to aesthetically suit a minimalist setting.

The ‘Awkward Silence’ Clock by Gašper Kunšič

Just as the mad-hatter’s watch from 'Alice in Wonderland' is always stuck to six ‘ o’clock, this stark new object is a sculptural interpretation of a time-less clock. The red clock transverses the loophole between the past and the present while inducing nostalgia. The whimsical; mysterious object created by Gašper Kunšič gives an eerie vibe to the studio’s previously designed Grandma’s clock. The clock is an extravagant piece of figurative identity that taps a non-mechanical mechanism of a time-measuring device. The sinuous hands of the clock come without any indicators marking a utopian place where time doesn't run linearly.

Nana Wolke’s ‘Willy Wonka’

Inspired by the equal part warm and psychotic character of Willy Wonka from the 1970s film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the unique memorabilia pays homage to the cynical fictional character that has been repurposed time and again as a viral meme. Nana Wolke, an iconic industrial designer and artist created the twisted candleholder as a translation of a fictional persona into its colourful household object with a blend of a wicked fantasy into a stage prop design.

The Vases by Kolektiv DVA

Channelling the simplicity of clay, Kolectiv DVA, belonging to a group of artists from Slovenia, uses traditional pottery-making techniques to breathe life into the earthy material. For Adorno’s Voyage, the studio presented ‘Vase No. 16’ and ‘Vase No. 6’ as minimal but highly aesthetic additions inspired by contemporary home. Even as abstract pieces of art, the vases appear to be raw on the outside and well glazed on the inside, thus pertaining to the function of holding one’s beautiful bouquet of flowers. The hand-crafted vases are an expression of the dynamic and mystical energy of the design studio.

Altar Flavus I by Salto Dionys

A creative figure made of Slovenian pine wood, covered in a pink-beige colour is a soothing addition to any bedside. Designer Salto Dionys created the Altar Flavus I as a shrine for plants, books and pieces of jewellery. Offering a timid character, a soothing aesthetic and a minimalist look, the beautiful stepped shelf comes with a gentle curtain to hide intimate objects.

Among these products, are a few other exciting objects including the ‘Trompe l’oeil’ blanket by David Tavčar, the Baja Kilim and the pillow case by Kobeiagi Kilims, ‘Totem’ food serving system by Nuša Jelenec and Nina Mršnik and the Vanitas and Vessel by Naturamorta. These objects are beautiful and innovative interpretations of everyday objects that are often overlooked.