Sights to Behold
The Sight Unseen Offsite exhibition in New York is a great place to spot exciting new contemporary design and this year's edition is no exception. Here are a few exhibits which caught our eye, especially for their strong sculptural presence.
The Neotenic Lounge by Jumbo is a tubular armchair inspired by features that are said to be universally perceived as cute, namely a bulging, rounded shape, soft springy consistency, short fat limbs and a clumsy demeanour. Constructed in metal tubing and finished in glossy car paint, the Neotenic Lounge ticks almost all these boxes, which may be why we are cooing all over it.
Read more: Jumbo
Set Number 5 by design practice Musing-Selles is a furniture collection which plays on the contrasting forms of squares and rounded tubes. The units are made in plywood and finished in a gradient car paint gloss which gives them a slick, otherworldly appearance. The taller unit works as a wardrobe, the medium one as a drinks cabinet and the lowest one as a side table. Together the trio packs a real visual punch and is a surefire conversation starter.
Read more: Musing-Selles
The Aurora collection by Yield combines interlocking sheets of terrazzo, which is commonly used as a flooring material, with glass tops to form strikingly sculptural coffee and dining tables. The terrazzo and glass can both be customised, offering endless potential for colour combinations to complement this intriguing pairing of materials.
Read more: Yield
Mexican design collective Stromboli Associates presented a range of tabletop accessories which showcases the best of contemporary artisanal skills. Highlights include the asteroid-like Crater bowl, which is made of cement and paint; the Mita-Mita bowls in terrazzo and the Bodina collection of mixed materials vessels, which would make a spectacular table centrepiece.
Read more: Stromboli Associates
Designer Ben Barber launched the Sanora collection of double-decker side tables, made of intersecting powder-coated aluminium sheets. Simple yet striking, the tables have a strong graphic quality about them, perfect for sleek contemporary interior schemes.
Read more: Ben Barber Studio
Shop the Style
Product Inspiration
Create your sculptural design scheme with outstanding designs such as the Multileg Showtime cabinet from BD Barcelona Design, the Untitled concrete chair from New Works and the Toadstool table from Missana.
Make a sculptural statement with dramatic lights such as the Dandelion suspension light from LZF, the Lampscapes Uphill floor light from Frederik Roije and the Olo table light from Moustache.
Accessorise with bold shapes to add excitement to any space. Try the Butterfly coat rack from Ghidini 1961, the Echasse bowl from Menu or the Bloom centrepiece from Incipit.
