Textile designer and artist Kristine Mandsberg has created a series of nine wall-mounted sculptures informed by the act of people embracing, which is featured in our Dezeen x The Mindcraft Project 2022.

Titled Blob, Mandsberg's sculptures form part of a larger series called Please Touch, an exploration of human physical actions translated into colourful shapes.

The base of the nine Blob sculptures is a rectangular PVC foam board,  which Mandsberg covered with nylon jersey and then finished with a flocking technique.

The result is a series of sculptural forms that intend to activate the viewer's senses while promoting a physical connection between the sculpture and the user.

The slight variations in each piece aim to convey the sequence of hugging oneself or a loved one, "broaching the decreased physical contact within contemporary society".

"I had this idea that a more floating and living shapes would emphasise the softness of the surface and the object itself, and thereby, emphasise the physical and sensuous encounter between the viewer and the object," said Mansberg.

"I imagine a room full of these shapes covering a big wall, like a big puzzle where colour and the reposition of the shapes would create this overwhelming, soft surface," said the designer.

According to Mandsberg, the Blob series could be expanded to larger-scale installations, which aim to represent entire environments where human senses and social interactions would be encouraged.

Dezeen x The Mindcraft Project 2022

Dezeen x The Mindcraft Project 2022 is a partnership between Dezeen and Copenhagen Design Agency. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.