Dezeen promotion: an exhibition at Design Miami/Basel will see seven designers and studios, including Jasper Morrison, Michael Anastassiades and the Bouroullec brothers, present household objects realised in Portuguese stone.
As one of the satellite projects for Design Miami/Basel 2019, Common Sense is curated by Experimentadesign and Lisbon Gallery, along with ArtWorks and Paris-based Galerie Vertbois 5.
The other participating designers are the Campana brothers, Claudia Moreira Salles, Fernando BrÃzio and Miguel Vieira Baptista.
Each designer was asked to create objects to showcase one or more different types of Portuguese stone. The result is a series of 14 objects, with "unique personalities".
According to Experimentadesign, the aim was to celebrate common sense and simplicity, in a time when technology is ever present.
"It is fundamental to review and redesign the relationship with some of the most ancient and sustainable materials we have available, and through design, bring their unique power, beauty and characteristics into our daily lives," said curator Guta Moura Guedes.
Jasper Morrison's contribution is the Alpinina bowl, named after the limestone from which it is made. It features a recessed base that is designed to create the illusion that it is floating over the surface on which it is placed.
Estudio Campana created a pair of rings. The duo's aim was to create a dialogue between the coldness of Branco Vigária and Ruivina Escuro marble, and the warmth and flexibility of Brazilian coconut fibre – a material they frequently use.
London designer Michael Anastassiades' has contributed two pieces: a plate and a vase that are each made using two contrasting stones.
Titled Forbidden Fruit, they are designed to evoke the contrast of colours found between the inside and outside of some fruits. The vase features dark marble on the outside and light stone on the interior, while the plate is the reverse.
Brazilian designer Claudia Moreira Salles has also created two pieces for the exhibition. The first, Bowl Compass, is a stone disc divided by a wooden blade, evoking a compass.
The second, Mancebo Angras, is a coat stand that is made from slabs of marble, designed to stand out even when clothes are hanging over it.
F=MA is a sideboard designed by Portuguese designer Fernando BrÃzio, made of two Ruivina Escuro marble buttresses that support a set of cables.
The dark colour of the marble is designed to accentuate its mass, and contrast with the delicate nature of the cables.
Fontaine is the piece designed by the Bouroullec brothers, which transports water to create an artificial stream in any environment.
It is intended to explore the relationship between stone carved by a computer-controlled machine and the natural movement and sounds of water.
The final pieces in the collection are designed by Lisbon designer Miguel Vieira Baptista, modelled on construction methods used in Roman architecture.
Hipódromo is made up of seven individual marble pieces that are combined to form a single object, while Eclipse is a series of dish-like pieces that are designed to look unfinished, each appearing to be missing an edge.
Common Sense forms part of First Stone, an ongoing experimental research program by Experimentadesign in partnership with Assimagra. The pieces were first presented at the Lina Bo Bardi Glass House in São Paulo in 2017.
Visit the Design Miami website to find out more. To enquire about prices, contact Lisbon Gallery: lisbon.gallery@experimenta.pt.