above: from the exhibition invitation to Nika's work in Milan
EXHIBITION AT SUPERSTUDIO PIU, MILAN
I WILL BUY FLOWERS MYSELF
OBJECT GONE INDESCRETE BY NIKA ZUPANC
I have blogged about self proclaimed "communicative product designer" Slovenian Nika Zupanc's work before. Her Ordinary Life, Disturbed series still holds up as some of the most unusual and irreverent furnishings out there and her latest pieces, collaborations and installments are no less interesting.
above: I Will Buy Flowers Myself, exhibition and the artist Nika Zupanc. Portrait of Nika Zupanc by Boštjan Martinjak
from the press release:
Precisely measured eclecticism and the intentional search for feminine archetypal elements are the parameters Nika Zupanc uses in her work, although in a notably reserved and occasionally slightly painful manner. Within the exhibition I will buy flowers myself, Zupanc tackles the established attributes which are this time especially inspired by the stories of some of the most famous female literary heroines. Her display space thus opens up through a sequence of spicy comments cast in shamelessly beautiful forms.
These include sofas, a table, a toy car, a crib, a feather duster, and the Mrs. Dalloway mini hot plate designed for Gorenje (which are all pictured in this post).
The Doll House (shown below) was developed together with the company Trimo and Nika Zupanc designed this installation using the architectural and design options provided by the new and innovative modular facade system, Qbiss by trimo.
The pavilion’s interior is suffused with a passionate intertwining of rational and irrational features in a family of six objects that can be read between the covers of The Doll House as the resistance of women chained in Romanticism that prefer to buy the flowers themselves.
The Doll House Installation:
The designer announces the basic feature of her exhibition even at the entrance to her pavilion at Superstudio Piu, where visitors are confronted with a black, dotted architectural installation. With its chimney and pearlescent smoke, it works as a monolith that separates the world of objects from the world of forms, thus representing a passage into another dimension.
The Mrs. Dalloway mini Hot Plate for Gorenje:
above: Nika Zupanc designed this mini hot plate exclusively for Gorenje, an internationally recognized, ambitious, and design-oriented creator of home appliances.
Tapisserie & Phonique sofas:
The Scarlet table and tray:
Acrylic Cradles:
above: Exhibition prototypes of the cradles were produced by Acrytech Pečenko
The Unfaithful Feather Duster:
available for purchase here.
However, this year Nika Zupanc will not be shown only at her own pavilion. The global super-brands Moooi and Moroso will present products with her signature as well: Moooi will present its series of her Lolita lamps (shown below), and Moroso will present her Tailored Chair (also shown below).
The Lolita Lamp for Moooi:
The Tailored Chair for Moroso:
Be sure to read about her Ordinary Life, Disturbed here.
The exhibition was supported by The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia
Curated by: Jurij Krpan, Art direction: Nika Zupanc, Graphic design: Kabinet 01, Words by: Igor Medjugorac, Photo: Dragan Arrigler, ©Nika Zupanc 2009
www.nikazupanc.com