jaime hayon brings funtastico to the groninger museum

jaime hayon brings funtastico to the groninger museum
jaime hayon and nienke klunder

rockin sausage, 2012

american chateau

© jaime hayon

jaime hayon: funtastico
groninger museum, the netherlands
on now until march 30, 2014

in his short career as an artist/designer, jaime hayon has evolved into a master of all trades, developing autonomous and applied projects across a range of disciplines–ceramics to wood, glass to textiles, product, furniture and interior design.

having followed his practice over the past years, the groninger museum presents ‘funtastico’, the first major solo exhibition that surveys the spanish-born creative’s work–from his partnership with renowned crystal manufacturer baccarat, to his more absurd furniture concepts such as his ‘rockin’ hot dog’ (produced in collaboration with his partner nienke klunder as part of their ‘american chateau’ series), to his large-scale ceramic installations which includes ‘the tournament‘, a life-size chess set that was commissioned by the london design festival, displayed in the british capital’s trafalgar square in 2009.

‘funtastico’ also brings forth notable works by the artist such as ‘mediterranean digital baroque’ and ‘mon cirque’ which the cultural institution purchased in 2009, in addition to their newly acquired ‘green chicken’ functional sculpture.

jaime hayon

new york is miami, 2012
american chateau

© jaime hayon

hayon’s ability to create his own play land, while still appealing to a broader commercial audience has seen him join forces with a number of renowned clients–bisazza, camper swarovski and lladro to name a few–building-up quite the diverse portfolio of work that occupies a position between the realms of autonomous art and design. all injected with the fantastical and amusing humour that is hayon’s signature, combined with his keen sense of detail and precise finishing, the pieces displayed in ‘funtastico’ characterize his unique style, offering an engaging venue in which visitors are invited to be a part of his emotionally influential objects.

‘american chateau’ room
jaime hayon, funtastico @ groninger museum, 2013-2014
photo: klunderbie

hayon’s ability to create his own play land, while still appealing on a commercial level, has seen him work with a number of renowned clients like bisazza, camper swarovski and lladro, building-up quite a diverse portfolio of projects that occupy a position between the realms of autonomous art and design; all injected with the fantastical and amusing humour that is his signature, combined with his keen sense of detail and precise finishing. ‘funtastico’ characterizes hayon’s unique style, and offers an engaging venue in which visitors are invited to be a part of his emotionally influential objects.

installation view of ‘the tournament’
jaime hayon, funtastico @ groninger museum, 2013-2014
photo: klunderbie

‘the tournament’
jaime hayon, funtastico @ groninger museum, 2013-2014
photo: klunderbie

‘mediterranean digital baroque’ is an ironic manifesto derived from hayon’s personal cosmology
jaime hayon, funtastico @ groninger museum, 2013-2014
photo: klunderbie

‘mon cirque’ sees imaginary characters and clowns become lamps and vases
jaime hayon, funtastico @ groninger museum, 2013-2014
photo: klunderbie

one room of the exhibition is dedicated to the work of jaime hayon with french crystal manufacturer baccarat
jaime hayon, funtastico @ groninger museum, 2013-2014
photo: klunderbie

a number of hayon’s chair designs for such companies as &tradition and BD barcelona on display
jaime hayon, funtastico @ groninger museum, 2013-2014
photo: klunderbie

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