Formafantasma's juxtapositions of warm wood, tradition and novelty in Formation

Italian studio Formafantasma's new series of works appears seemingly simple on a preliminary encounter. Built from wood planks, textiles and cleverly concealed LED panels, the furniture designs are sturdy and durable; classically effortless in conception. A hint of ethereality is suggested by the fabric elements and the soft light emanating from the lighting designs. Dubbed Formation by the Italian designers, the pieces form part of the studio's first gallery exhibition in the United States at Friedman Benda.

On view at the New York-based gallery from June 6 – July 25, 2025, the artefacts evoke the image of a restrained domestic setting within the exhibition space. The collection, comprising a table, a desk, an armchair and varied lighting designs, is subtle and geometrically arranged. Only the armchair creates a sense of variance with its pop of teal and diagonality.

Each elementary piece in the Formation collection, or the plank as Formafantasma underlines in their concept note, comes together seamlessly; sharp joints in almost perfect balance. The solidness of the wooden furniture speaks to the designers' desire to resist ostentation, instead studying the evolution of the everyday through mundane materiality. "Formation seeks to transcend the ephemeral in favour of an enduring presence," the Italian design studio emphasises.

The choice of material, the dependable plank, is a nod to carpentry and craftsmanship and a subtle reference to the traditions of the Shakers. Inspired by the American religious sect's belief in design as an expression of community and social equality, the studio underscores its concern for detail. This is also emphasised by the studio's naming of Frank Lloyd Wright and George Nakashima as inspiration for the pieces.

"Wright's synthesis of craft and technology and Nakashima's reverence for timber as a living entity find echoes in the collection's interplay of warm wood and brushed aluminium—a material more often associated with contemporary digital devices," notes the project's text. The suggestion of the digital (or contemporary design in this context) and its juxtaposition with the 'warm wood' or the essential element of design, is crucial to Formafantasma's exploration of archetypes with the collection.

While on the one hand, the wood does feel traditional in its texture, its expression is wholly contemporary—modular and sleek in the pieces. This is perhaps most apparent in the lighting designs. The hanging lights, for instance, include LED panels mimicking screens (as the studio notes), while the angular appearance of the floor lamps gives them a quirky dynamism. The studio elaborates, "The collection invites us to reconsider the way we engage with objects, allowing the past and present to converge in forms that neither mimic nor reject history but instead expand upon it."

To this end, the studio also explores textiles and how these bring attention to certain traditions of domesticity. While weaving and embroidery are often relegated to a woman's craft, in the design exhibition, textile drapes tables, adorns a lamp or is incorporated into a chandelier. It serves as a signal towards what the studio believes has been overlooked in design history canon.

By juxtaposing the soft textile with the more robust elements prevalent in the pieces, Formafantasma also manages to create an overall balance for the collection. It is traditional and at the same time contemporary, straightlaced, but also sensuous, both robust and dainty. It's a difficult feat to achieve, but done here with characteristic care towards material and flair for craftsmanship. The designs for the collection align with the studio's larger exploration of the ecological, historical, political and social forces that design today, bringing into the spotlight what is often considered quotidian. The sturdiness of the material, in dialogue with an otherwise contemporary sensibility, creates a language that is entirely novel.

As the studio notes, "[Formation] stands as a counterpoint to the expressive tendencies often celebrated in contemporary design, instead advocating for an approach where objects facilitate thought and experience rather than declare identity."

'Formation' by Formafantasma is on view from June 6 – July 25, 2025, at the Friedman Benda gallery in New York.