Tuleste Factory showcases ‘Harmonious Proportions’ at NYCxDesign Week 2023

A multi-sensory celebration of artistic diversity is set to unveil from May 19 to May 25, 2023, at the NYCxDesign week 2023 opening afterparty by Chelsea, New York based contemporary design and art gallery Tuleste Factory. The exhibition touted Harmonious Proportions will feature works by current artists along with a selection of new additions to its roster. New installations span across three rooms, two floors, and a 464.5 sqm outdoor terrace, showcasing a range of works that explore themes of balance, symmetry, and form. The harmonious relationship between various parts in a design or composition inspires Harmonious Proportions. For their individual thematic approaches to the idea of harmony, 23 designers and artists are gathered in this show, inspired by a variety of things, such as nature, architecture, design, and mathematics.

The installation will feature special curations by Ceren Arslan and creative agency Mother New York among other new works by Ian Alistair Cochran, Lyora Pissarro and the Allaux Brothers in collaboration with Facture, Joseph Conrad-Ferm, Timbur and Yonathan Moore. New Factory artists will be presenting works including Camila Varon, Diaphan, Sol Bailey Barker and Sten Studio by Jose Schnaider. Yonathan Moore will be launching his second collection of Optical Monuments, introducing two new designs: the Totem floor lamp and the Megalith hanging lamp.

Spatial designer and artist Ceren Arslan, well-known for her work with Kelly Wearstler and in the digital space with EXIT, will debut a special curation titled EXIT Room #002: Dalmatian Blue. The Dalmatian blue is a stunning backdrop for a home in a Dalmatian pattern, and the curating name alludes to darker Porsche colours. In a monochrome immersive installation, the room will imitate an ordinary flat environment with a few carefully chosen designer items. At first, appearing flat, the room takes on dimension when the visitors arrive to engage with the piece.

Timbur is proud to present an ambitious new body of work from the founder and designer Ezra Ardolino, following a historic year for the company, which included significant, custom works for artists and companies including Daniel Arsham and KITH. The limited edition series blends the lines between physical and digital creation by using stack laminated plywood as a medium for artistic expression. The three pieces of sculpture-turned-furniture will be prominently featured during the Harmonious Proportions exhibit. After experimenting with the idea of infinitely-sided polygons, Ardolino created the name N90N (NGON) by fusing his love of geometrical forms with his desire to test the boundaries of wood creations. Individual items are displayed digitally and have distinct geometries that are individually represented by a limited number of polygons. However, as the parts are manually sanded and smoothened, the number of polygons on the surface's topology grows and gets closer to infinity or 'N.'

N90N is made up of three pieces, 5P1R4L (SPIRAL), D0U8L3 (DOUBLE), and 7R1PL3 (TRIPLE), which were created using Timbur's complex stack lamination process, which is the company's signature method for creating objects from large quantities of material, that is assembled from sheet stock. Each is given a surreal colourisation finish using transparent automotive 'Kandy' urethane that is specifically made for this purpose. This highlights the remarkable surface definition that provides a futuristic representation of wood texture.

On the second floor of the gallery, creative company Mother will unveil its Bliss sofa to the public, for the first time. Bliss is a thought-provoking, self-aware meditation on the contribution of class politics and consumerism to the current global climate disaster. It targets affluent individuals looking for an alluring alternative to the effects of sea level rise by posing as the prototype for a creative line of floating furniture. The artwork tries to emphasise the disparity between those with means and those without during times of disaster, through this satirical lens. By purchasing this one-of-a-kind design statement, the customer will support those who will be most impacted financially and participate in important dialogues about our shared future, with twenty per cent of the proceeds being donated to the United States for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Tuleste Factory is known for highlighting some of New York City's most intriguing and cutting-edge modern designs and artwork. This exhibit is another example of the gallery's great eye for new talent. Harmonious Proportions promises to be an aesthetically attractive and intellectually stimulating event, offering a novel viewpoint on the connection between harmony, art, and design.

Text by Ria Jha