Design Miami.LA Nacho Carbonell × Wonmin Park

Carbonell’s Custom Trono (2023) – which is part of his series of sculptural lamps – exemplifies the booth’s theme and is a key highlight of the fair, depicting his tactile approach and ethos for viewing objects as living organisms. Crafted by hand, Carbonell toys with texture, techniques and natural materials to give each of his artworks different personalities. The Custom Trono, a sculptural marvel that stands like a tree made of honeycomb, features soft, gentle light exuding through its mesh cocoons and a metal seat carved into the base. Also exhibiting is Atelier Van Lieshout’s New Family Lamp (2020), a continuation of his series of humanoid lamps exploring personal relationships, in which the artist exhibits a modern take on fertility, birth and life. For this piece, three family members are arranged close to the overhead canopy, with themes of stability and institution reinforced through Corten steel.

Wonmin Park, who’s known for his deep exploration into materiality, particularly through metal and natural elements such as volcanic stone and aluminium, is exhibiting his Plain Cuts Stone #4 (2021). In this artwork, the artist combines two worlds – the natural and the man-made – as he splices a block of camouflage-toned rock with thin sheets of steel, nodding to how humankind has left an irreversible mark on the environment.

Elsewhere across the booth, a roster of chairs that incorporate natural materials are brought to the fore. Frederik Molenschot, who’s known for transforming everyday moments into robust, anthropomorphic artworks, is exhibiting his Bridge Chair Oak (2023). Chunky, bold and crafted from oak, the piece nods to the artist’s affinity for natural materials and forms. Echoing a similar sentiment is Gerrit Rietveld’s Crate Chair (1950), which was designed as an inexpensive alternative to furniture during the economic crisis of the time. Robust and square, the piece was originally produced from wood scraps derived from packing crates and offered as a self-assembly kit for those seeking a durable and accessible alternative.

Now Closed

16 May20 May 2024