artecnica presents tord boontje and hella jongerius at ICFF         home

May 19-22, 2007

Artecnica presents Tord Boontje and Hella Jongerius at the 19th International Contemporary Furniture Fair, Booth 1722

Click here for location and time of ICFF

Beads & Pieces by Hella Jongerius for Artecnica
Beads & Pieces, a DESIGN WITH CONSCIENCE project, is a four-piece ceramic collection designed by Hella Jongerius. The collection is handcrafted by skilled Peruvian ceramists and bead-embroidered by artisans located in the primary coca leaf-growing region of Peru. With the help of Aid to Artisans, a non-profit organization that provides practical assistance to artisans worldwide, Artecnica offers an alternative economic reality to the people of this dangerous and oppressed area. Perforated ceramics embellished with embroidered details have become an integral part of Jongerius' body of work. With its seductive combination of robust, perforated black ceramic bodies festooned with delicate pink beading, Beads & Pieces is classic Jongerius. Decorative flourishes, such as ceramic floral bouquets and wooden beads on the larger pieces only enhance the artful juxtaposition of elements. However, these accents do more than beautify as they contain meaningful symbols that contextualize the handcrafted and socially responsible origins of Beads & Pieces. The ceramists' exquisite workmanship is apparent in the pieces' graceful curves executed in black ceramic, a traditional Peruvian pottery technique. Moreover, motifs from the indigenous Shipibo tribe were incorporated into the pink beaded labels. And the heart? It stands for the love we have for this project. The collection consists of a set of 4 [ 1 bottle - 1 large bowl - 1 medium bowl - 1 small bowl ]. Beads & Pieces won the Editor's Award for Best Accessory at ICFF 2006.

About Hella Jongerius
Dutch designer Hella Jongerius (b. 1963) combines craft techniques with modern technology to create objects that are strikingly new and provocative. Brimming with contextual twists, Jongerius' designs explore and challenge the boundaries between tradition and modernity, handicraft and mass-production, as well as the functional and decorative. Jongerius' range is diverse and broadly derived. Her designs typically employ a mélange of media such as ceramics, latex, steel, plastic, felt, foam, and precious metals. The resulting designs emphasize simple but sensuous forms, rich textures, and materials that often retain traces of their origin and purpose. Jongerius works in Rotterdam where she heads her own design company, JongeriusLab. Her designs have been manufactured and sold by Vitra, Cappellini, IKEA, Swarovski, and Maharam, to name a few. Jongerius' designs can also be found in the permanent collections of several international museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The first survey of Jongerius work was published by Phaidon in 2003.

About Tord Boontje
Tord Boontje was born in Enschede, Netherlands in 1968.
He first studied industrial design at the Design Academy in Eindhoven (1986 – 1991), and followed this with a Masters from the Royal College of Art in London (1992 - 1994). Studio Tord Boontje was founded in 1996. Tord Boontje lived and worked in London from 1995 to 2005 and has since lived and worked in Bourg-Argental, France.

Philosophy
The challenge and opportunity the Studio has long sought is a delicate marriage of design with emotion that is as broadly accessible as it is enticing. The Studio’s work draws from a belief that modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary does not forsake tradition, and that technology does not abandon people and senses. The Studio’s designs often temper edges with softness, borrow inspiration from nature, and employ a décor of forms and layers to engage and entice an observer’s imagination and emotions. But these references to nature and emotion reflect only an outcome, not the process of design itself. Although the use of technologies and material properties is never celebrated ( and is always subsumed within the final product ), there is nonetheless a conscious insistence that the Studio’s work employ the latest production and material technologies in pursuit of its vision.

Industrial & Furniture Design & Packaging
The Studio has developed a variety of products and furniture pieces including: Studio Tord boontje for Target, a Christmas collection of more than 35 products and a design concept for packaging, in-store environment and advertising campaign - watches and eyewear ( Alexander McQueen ) – chairs and sofas ( Moroso ) - lighting ( Habitat and Artecnica ) - chandeliers ( Swarovski ) – textiles including upholstery, curtains, cushions and rug ( Kvadrat - Nanimarquina) – paper curtains ( Artecnica ) – vases & carafes ( Dartington, Artecnica and Salviati ) – mirrors ( Artecnica, Moroso) – greeting cards ( Artecnica ) – jewellery ( Chi Ha Pura, Swarovski ) - glasses ( Perriet Jouet, Authentics ) – tableware ( Authentics, Salviati ).The Studio has also created packaging solutions for Swatch and Alexander McQueen.

Unique & Limited Productions
Studio Tord Boontje limited production collections including: Petit Jardin and Petit Jardin Armchair (self-production) - the Wednesday Collection ( self-production ) – Paper Vases and Cherry Pit Jewellery ( Moss ). Unique works have also been commissioned by: British Airways London – Delano Hotel Miami - Covent Garden Building London.
Interior Architecture, Exhibitions and Installations
Work in this area has included: development of visual identity and retail concept and roll-out for sunglass company – retail concept for fashion accessories brand – exhibition design for Hermes at Design Museum London – exhibition design for British Council exhibition in China in collaboration with Ilse Crawford – Christmas Tree at Victoria & Albert Museum in collaboration with Alexander McQueen – dining room for 1000 people at Swarovski Fashion Rocks, Monte Carlo - creation of Milan Fair Installation for Axor-Hansgrohe.

Awards
2007 Red Dot Design Award (Little Field of flowers)
2006 IF Product Design Award (Table Stories)
2005 Dutch Designer of the Year
2005 Innovation Prize for textile collection, Cologne Fair
2004 Best Lighting Design, Elle Decoration International Designs ( Blossom chandelier)
2004 Dedalus Design Award
2004 Best Product, New York Gift Fair ( Midsummer Light )
2004 Short-listed, Product Designer of the Year, Blueprint Awards UK
2003 Reader’s Choice for Future Classic, Elle Decoration (Garland Light )
2003 Best Lighting Design ( Garland Light ), Elle Decoration
2003 Designer of the Year, Elle Decoration
2003 Short-listed, Designer of the Year, Design Museum London
2002 Bombay Sapphire Prize for Glass Design

Solo Exhibitions
2006 Winter Wonderland, Swarovski Crystal Gallery Innsbruck
2006 The Forest of Karakusa, Shiseido Gallery Tokyo
2005 The End, Moss Gallery New York
2004 Forever, Aram London
2004 Happy Ever After, Moroso Milan
2002 Wednesday, Barrett Marsden Gallery London
2001 Wednesday, The British Council Prague
2001 Wednesday, Applied Arts Agency London

Group Exhibitions
2006-2007 Emma Woffenden and Tord Boontje, Barret Mardsen Gallery London
2005 05 Degrees of Separation, Art Basel Miami
2003 Great Brits Exhibition, Milan & Sao Paolo
2002 Pretty, Gallery B New York
2002 Milan in a Van, Victoria & Albert Museum London
2002 Smart Alice, Centraal Museum Utrecht
2002 Crystal Palace, Design Museum London
2001 Industry of One, Crafts Council London
2001 Century City, Art and Culture in the Modern Metropolis, Tate Modern London
2001 Home / Homeless, Malmö
2001 Global Tools, Kunstlerhaus Vienna
2001 The Unexpected, Sotheby’s New York
2000 Salviati Meets London
1999 Stealing Beauty: British Design Now, Institute of Contemporary Art London
1999 Lost and Found: Critical Voices in New British Design, British Council, touring
1998 No Picnic, Crafts Council London
1998 Powerhouse::UK London

Work in Public Collections
Victoria & Albert Museum London – Blossom Chandelier, Midsummer Light, Garland Light, development archive, student work
British Council London – Blossom Table
Crafts Council London – Wednesday Bunny Chair, Wednesday Light
Manchester City Gallery – Wednesday Cabinet, Wednesday Light, Bird Vase
MOMA New York – Transglass, Wednesday Light, Garland Light
San Francisco Moma, Midsummer Light
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam - textile, Happy Rocker, Garland Light
Groninger Museum, Groningen – Witch Chair, Textile, Dondola

Bibliography
2007 Tord Boontje, text by Martina Margetts, Rizzoli New York, ISBN: 978-0-8478-2929-3

Hella Jongerius
© Artecnica

Beads & Pieces
(part of Artecnica's Design With Conscience project)