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Danish designer Maria Bruun presents a new furniture collection in a solo installation at Design Miami/ Basel taking place 21–26 September 2021 in Basel, Switzerland. The installation is entitled Reflected Surroundings and is part of Design Miami/ Basel’s curated Curio program. Maria Bruun is the first Danish designer to present a solo exhibition in the acclaimed Curio program of Design Miami/ Basel.
Bringing the Danish design tradition into the future
Reflected Surroundings shows Maria Bruun’s deep connection with the Danish design tradition. With sincere respect for classic Danish furniture, creating her designs in close dialogue with skilled craftspeople, Maria Bruun points to the future of Danish design with a distinctive and innovative approach. “In my eyes, the Danish design tradition has always been a standard-bearer for quality, material understanding and understated courage. I am deeply rooted in this tradition and approach to form and material. At the same time, the contemporary scene for Danish design is on an intriguing and vibrant path of renewal. My practice revolves around creating a new perspective that challenges the tradition and points to the future of Danish design”, says Maria Bruun.
The installation – Reflected Surroundings
Reflected Surroundings by Maria Bruun is a sensuous space where every detail is skillfully crafted. A carefully curated immersive microcosm, where the surrounding space draws the visitor in with the mirror as an alluring spatial object. Impressive mirror modules stand like monoliths in the room, arranged around a centrally placed circular dining table in stainless steel accompanied by dining chairs with upholstered leather seats. The dining table, serving as the centre of the exhibition with the base that branches out and anchors it. “To me, the mirror is a recurring object in my practice. The nature of the mirror is alluring – both as a spatial object and in a metaphorical sense. In this exhibition, I try to play with the ambiguous character of the mirror. The mirror lets us see ourselves and experience the space. The idea is to expand the space and open it up to new surprising formations”, says Bruun.
The furniture collection
The furniture collection made for Reflected Surroundings shows Maria Bruun’s fundamental relation to the Danish design tradition while also containing a global perspective. The furniture pieces are functional sculptures with a quality of craftsmanship that is a caring gesture towards the user. The furniture collection consists of a dining table in stainless steel serving as the centre of the exhibition, dining chairs with upholstered leather seat and swivel base, free-standing mirrors in two sizes, stackable boxes in walnut, and unique mouth-blown glass vases. The pieces in the collection subtly refer to each other in material and form. At the same time, each piece is strong in its own expression.
About Maria Bruun
Maria Bruun (b. 1984) designer from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design, is based in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark where she works with furniture, interiors, and exhibitions. In 2021, she was awarded the renowned Danish Finn Juhl Prize. Maria Bruun was the first furniture designer to be included in the honourable Artistic Elite program by the Danish Arts Foundation (2019-2020). In 2018, Bruun was nominated for the Dezeen Awards ‘Emerging Designer of the Year’. In 2014, Maria Bruun won the Danish Design Awards “Design of the year”. Her works have been shown at acclaimed museums such as the Design Museum in London and Design museum Denmark.
About Design Miami/ Basel
Design Miami/ is a leading international fair for design, launched in 2005. Design Miami/ has become a global authority for collectible design, with events in Miami, Basel and Shanghai that bring together the design world’s most influential players and leading international galleries specialising in historic and contemporary design.The current edition of Design Miami/ Basel takes place 21–26 September 2021 at Messe Basel, Switzerland.
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