make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend

make your fridays matter

Studio Swine narrates the anthology of American Hardwood at Triennale Milano 2022
The Forest Tales immersive exhibition by Studio Swine
Image: Courtesy of Petr Krejčí for Studio Swine
14
News

Studio Swine narrates the anthology of American Hardwood at Triennale Milano 2022

‘Forest Tales’ by Studio Swine reflects the adaptation of American Hardwood by 22 specially selected designers in an exciting exhibit. 

by Ayushi Mathur
Published on : Jun 13, 2022

Forest Tales brings together a celebration of exceptional design from AHEC’s latest projects, a love for timber and a much-needed call for balance. “Balance in a way we use natural materials with particular emphasis on renewable ones, such as wood. The same balance on which today's designers, as well as the entire sector, are called upon to reflect and address the greatest social and economic issue of our time– climate change. While focusing on the need to put an end to the current throwaway culture,” shares David Venables, Director of the American Hardwood Export Council, Europe.

studio-swine-narrates-the-anthology-of-american-hardwood-at-triennale-milano-2022
The Ideation of the cratescape for the Forest Tales Image: Courtesy of Studio Swine

A culmination of AHEC’s creative works over the past two decades was displayed from 3rd June 2022 till 12th June 2022 at the Triennale Milano in a creative curation by Studio Swine. The Forest Tales exhibition showcased a collection of pieces from four different projects that, despite the diversity of their output, were united through the material in use – American hardwood.

studio-swine-narrates-the-anthology-of-american-hardwood-at-triennale-milano-2022
The Forest Tales icons Image: Courtesy of Soin Studio

“We were delighted to be invited by AHEC to propose a display. The opportunity was quite daunting, to create something in a venue with the history of Triennale during Salone 2022, we felt the looming shadow of the great stand designs by Castiglioni, Ray and Charles Eames, OMA etc. and so it was crucial to do something bold and impactful which can do justice to the extraordinary works by all the established and emerging designers, whilst at the same time creating no waste,” share the curators from Studio Swine on the conceptualisation of the exhibition design.

studio-swine-narrates-the-anthology-of-american-hardwood-at-triennale-milano-2022
Heatherwick Studio’s biophilic stem table Image: Courtesy of Heatherwick Studio

The exhibition featured 22 designers across 14 countries, as a veritable who’s who of contemporary design. Featured designs included the products by both established and emerging designers. Ranging from Heatherwick Studio’s biophilic Stem table in maple and Studio Swine’s own steam-bent red oak tribute to Ming Dynasty design, to Taiho Shin’s inventive, expanding, glue-less shelving systems, Maria Bruun’s quintessentially Nordic stackable stools, and Simon Gehring’s three wood chair that fused computational design processes and leftover timber scraps to unique effect.

studio-swine-narrates-the-anthology-of-american-hardwood-at-triennale-milano-2022
The cratescape of the Forest Tales Image: Courtesy of Petr Krejčí for Studio Swine

Studio Swine’s concept for the installation drew inspiration from the opening scene of Citizen Kane – an American drama film from the 1940s, in which Kane’s belongings were shown amid a vast jumble of wooden crates, to be assessed and packed away. The Visitors stepping into the gallery were confronted with an interesting topography of wooden packing crates – the same ones used to transport the furniture – with the various pieces displayed at different levels atop, under, and beside them. Screens showing video content about the pieces, the initiatives behind them and the woods with which they were designed, were woven into the ‘cratescape’. The surfaces of the crates themselves served as blank canvases for images depicting the forest landscape from which the hardwoods originate. The Forest Tales focused on shifting perspectives by coursing an argument against waste in design and a plea for a more thoughtful choice of materials.

studio-swine-narrates-the-anthology-of-american-hardwood-at-triennale-milano-2022
Simon Gehring’s Leftover synthesis chairs Image: Courtesy of Simon Gehring

As of the projects from which the products were featured, ‘Connected’ was a challenge for nine iconic international designers to create furniture responding to the isolation imposed by the Covid-19 Pandemic. ‘Discovered: Designers for Tomorrow’ gave a platform to 20 emerging design talents to design products. ‘Slow Design for Fast Change’ brought together nine young designers from the DACH countries to create sustainability, longevity and craft responsive furniture. Lastly, the project ‘A Seat at the Table’ was a collaboration between the Italian furniture maker Riva 1920 with four emerging Italian designers selected to create innovative and sustainable solid-wood furniture. Together, in the collective installation, some featureful works included the Libra, American red oak table by Federico Degioanni, Migo 01 chair by Pascal Hien of Berlin, the Kadamba Gate outdoor seating solutions by Ini Archibong of Switzerland and the Kumuka benches by Siyanda Mazibuko among others.

studio-swine-narrates-the-anthology-of-american-hardwood-at-triennale-milano-2022
The Forest Tales installation during Milan Design Week 2022 Image: Courtesy of Simon Gehring

The use of crates allowed Studio Swine and AHEC to achieve maximum attention with minimal impact. Since the crates in use were multipurpose, they were used for the display and further on, will be used to store and ship the furniture post the festival. Keeping this in mind, all printing methods and inks used to create the artworks on the crates, by London-based graphic studio SPIN, were chosen to ensure that they do not impact the crates’ primary function of storage and transport.

STIR takes you on a Milanese sojourn! Experience Salone del Mobile and all the design districts - 5vie, Brera, Fuorisalone, Isola, Zona Tortona, and Durini - with us. STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2022, Meanwhile in Milan showcases the best exhibits, moods, studios, events, and folks to look out for. We are also excited to announce our very own STIR press booth at Salone del Mobile - Hall 5/7 S.14, Fiera Milano RHO.

What do you think?

Comments Added Successfully!