Mueble Escultura features design and art "without distinction" in Argentina
A divider informed by the Microsoft logo and a sculpture made of a single cord of iron in the shape of a chair were among the objects featured at the Mueble Escultura exhibition in Buenos Aires.
Curated by Lucila Garcia de Onrubia and Cinthia Kazez, the Mueble Escultura Vol 2 exhibition featured "sculptures that resemble furniture and furniture that resembles sculptures" created by a host of designers living throughout Argentina in response to an open call.
"We work with the concept of 'mueble escultura', which serves more as a prompt than a theme, and prefer to think of each show as a panorama of contemporary production," curators Rubi and Kazaz told Dezeen.
"We were looking for work that interpreted our prompt in different ways, whether utilitarian, poetic, or conceptual, balancing that blurred line between art and design piece. This selection resulted in a more varied representation of hybrid works by both artists and designers that go beyond sculpture and collectable design."
Displayed in a gallery space at Espinosa Studios in Buenos Aires, the exhibit showcased a variety of different mediums including sculpture, painting and furniture design.
A sculpture by artist Mariano Ullua consisted of the outline of an armchair made with a single cord of wavy iron.
The Al Momento de Sentarse piece was Ullua's attempt to "transcend a medium", as the artist usually works as a painter.
Designer Oke Gomez Llambi (Grupo Bondi) displayed a stocky bench and jagged table made of hollow brick, cement and sand spliced together to form multi-coloured, textured surfaces.
These pieces, called The Relleno Sanitario, try to show how "function follows form", according to Rubi and Kazaz.
Product and furniture designer Franco Chimento created a textured, black shelving system with lines that extend outwards to end in dull points.
Made of wood and covered in coal, the piece nods to the traditional sheath of the Japanese katana sword, an object Chimento's father and grandfather collected as merchant seamen.
Other works include a spider-like aluminium chair with pronounced, mechanical joints created in 2003 by designer Fernando Poggio, ceramic shelves shaped like bows by Catalina Oz and a red, curved aluminium screen by Item informed by the Microsoft Windows logo.
The pieces were displayed along a long, flowing rug, which Rubi and Kazaz designed for the exhibit.
"We aimed, through the exhibition design, to appeal to a design language, using clean lines and a single color, to present both design and art pieces without distinction," said the curators.
"Because this mixing of practices is rarely seen here, we felt it was necessary to present a solid and serious show to legitimize this concept."
Elsewhere, the recent INTRO/LA exhibit brought together work from Los Angeles furniture designers.
The photography is by Felix Niikado.
Mueble Escultura Vol 2. was on show at Espinosa Studios in Buenos Aires from 28 October to 11 November. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.