craft is an area of design production that designers often turn to in the early stages of their careers. the performances aim to be a celebration of tenacious creative expression, unruly experimentation, and brilliantly low-tech design processes. a selection of young international designers worked onsite with traditional handcraft methods to create nonconformist, cutting-edge objects, installations, and encounters. the word ‘punk’ is here used out of its original meaning. the curators used this expression as a description of attitude and spirit; as it suggests fearless defiance in the face of adversity; individuality despite pressure to conform; the drive and inspiration to make something from nothing; finding beauty in things that are imperfect and asserting one’s voice despite restricted opportunities.
the show included kwangho lee, massimiliano adami nacho carbonell, peter marigold, raw-edges, sarah becker, simon hasan, studio glithero, studio libertiny and yuri suzuki + household. the designers received a briefing – the use of discarded materials from the fendi production process, such as selleria leather, branded fabrics, plastic decorative elements, and metal hardware and to reinvent the way a process or material is typically employed.
craft punk design performances is a collaboration between design miami/ and fendi, the italian LVMH-owned luxury fashion goods brand. it took place during the milan salone del mobile 2009 in the 750 sqm. spazio fendi showroom.
simon hasan: ‘beauty and the boiled beast’ performance
simon hasan
portrait © designboom
through an ongoing exploration into the medieval technique of ‘cuir bouilli’,
in which leather is boiled to make it irreversibly hard
image © designboom
simon hasan embraces the material’s capacity to be both decorative and structural.
he boils leather, wrapped on wooden forms, adds resin and car paint.
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nacho carbonell: ‘beasts’ performance
nacho carbonell
portrait © designboom
nacho carbonell uses only a stapler and basic moulding skills to fashion his creatures out
of fendi leather straps
image © designboom
image © designboom
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kwangho lee: ‘obsession’ performance
kwangho lee
portrait © designboom
with hands toiling obsessively, kwangho lee creates lounge chairs out of gardening hoses
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image © designboom
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peter marigold: ‘qow’ performance
peter marigold
portrait © designboom
image © designboom
using leather straps from fendi production, marigold creates patterned tabletops in which
the complimentary internal angles of a bisected square are matched up and tessellated
together to form uniform plates.
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raw- edges: ‘pleated pleat’ performance
yael mer and shay alkalay of raw edges studio
portrait © designboom
borrowing a technique used in fashion production, raw edges folds and re-folds DuPont ™ Tyvek ® sheets
to create a series of plush seats.
the method of pleating allows the flat, non elastic material to become a springy, three dimensional cushion
when filled with soft polyurethane foam.
image © designboom
image © designboom
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sarah becker: ‘rebuild’ performance
sarah becker
portrait © designboom
through compulsive handwork, transforming discarded materials and found objects, sarah becker
re-creates brand logos and an iconic imaginary brand alphabet
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glamorously layered and textured fashion accessories
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massimiliano adami: ‘fossilizziamo’ performance
massimiliano adami
portrait © designboom
assorted found objects, fendi plastic mannequins,… are drowned in foam
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once hardened, the foam is sectioned to reveal colorful and surprising fragments
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studio glithero: ‘brief moment of happiness’
sarah van gameren and tim simpson of studio glithero
portrait © designboom
white ceramic vases, which through exposure to light, slowly become vivid prussian blue.
the blueprint technique creates silhouettes of (dried) flowers and elastic rubber bands resting
on the surfaces.
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working with hazardous chemicals
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studio libertiny: ‘the weldgrown void’ performance
(on the right) tomás babzdil libertiny with collaborator
portrait © designboom
the hollow object results from the buildup of stainless steel weld solder in a continuous layers on a turntable
image © designboom
fusing-, welding- and clay turning
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yuri suzuki & household: ‘animatic’ performace
sarah gottlieb and george wu of hosehold and yuri suzuki
portrait © designboom
a series of animated machines comes to life in a chain reaction and creates a narrative for the song
image © designboom
image © designboom
this performance featured ‘memphis tennessee’, a silicon teens cover of the classic track by chuck berry.
