Beijing Design Week 2011: Vienna architect Dejana Kabiljo has installed a giant sofa made of bagged flour topped with fake chocolate icing at the 751-D Park for Beijing Design Week.
Viennese cakes and pastries were the inspiration for the recyclable temporary sofas, named LetThemSitCake!
The squishy icing is made from a polyol sponge that, unlike real chocolate, does not melt when touched.
Also at Beijing Design Week is a tricycle that writes temporary messages on the road with water - see our earlier story here.
Here's some more information from the festival organisers:
LetThemSitCake!
Beijing Design Week has invited Vienna- based architect Dejana Kabiljo to contribute to the 751-D PARK DesignHop with her quirky installation “LetThemSitCake!” at 751-D PARK Power Square. Stacked bags of wheat, topped off with an oozing 'chocolate icing' resemble an inviting multi- layered sponge cake but are in fact soft and rather comfortable sofas inviting visitors to take a seat.
Art curator and artistic director of Vienna Art Week Robert Punkenhofer said, “’LetThemSitCake!’ Dejana Kabiljo’s installation title, paraphrases a quote commonly attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette.
Instead of cynically ignoring the human condition by invoking the phrase, Kabiljo rather takes a very optimistic approach and associates her work with mouth-watering pastry that reflects the Viennese spirit in its finest tradition.
Using nearly four and half tons of flour as well as 120 litres of fake chocolate icing Kabiljo invites visitors to take a rest on an oversized cake in the shape of a most comfortable sofa. In times of uncertainty and crisis, ‘LetThemSitCake!’ offers a moment of sweetness, indulgence and joy.