Investigating Materiality through the Virtual Exhibition ‘REND’

There seems to be an ongoing revolution – a new dimension of innovation in the world of design, education, and life in general. Whilst continuously braving a battle against an unseen opponent, the rest of us are also in a way discovering methods on how to present and perform our daily lives by adapting to the changes that come along with everything happening around us. This includes the way we present and investigate designed objects and art pieces.

New York based design studio TRNK shows the world another height of curating furniture pieces by collaborating with Berlin-based artist Hannes Lippert of Form & Rausch. Through a Virtual Exhibition called REND, an animated fictitious environment was created in order to serve as a supporting backdrop for furniture pieces designed by Seoul-based Sisan Lee and FICT Studio, Mexico-based Disciplina Studio, and TRNK Collection. 

REND features the idea of materiality, particularly the sense of unity which can be found in materials like metal and stone. It aims to give its viewers the freedom to investigate the relationship between design elements such as hard and soft, rigid and flexible, warm and cool through its frame-by-frame transitions and carefully considered color and material combinations.

With a seemingly minimal yet exuberant bath house as a backdrop, the profusely designed environments played a huge part in highlighting each furniture piece by making them stand out and blend in all at the same time. While different in concept and process, the limited edition furniture pieces all visually celebrate the element of juxtaposition or contrasting forms, texture, color, and volume.

This Virtual Exhibition serves as a new idea and opportunity for TRNK to offer direct access to their curated objects and how it can be presented within a specific environment or scenario that not only presents a sense of scale and space but also textural and spatial imagery.

The Proportions of Stone series by Sisan Lee is a collection that is inspired by the purity of stone and the natural phenomena. The contradiction between the rawness of stone and the manufactured form of steel plates create a sense of balance and opposition, true to the intent of the artist to create a “relationship between nature and artifact”. Photo by @formundrausch from @trnknyc instagram.

In this particular frame, the Arch Chrome Armchair by TRNK Studio is presented alongside the Fragment Stool by Fict Studio as a vignette that showcases the marriage between three different materials – steel, stone, and upholstery. Photo by @formundrausch from @trnknyc instagram.

The Fragment Series by Fict Studio is a collection that showcases the use of white marble and translucent resin. The design in itself visually celebrates both ideas of seamlessness, stability, and fragility all at the same time. Photo by @formundrausch from @trnknyc instagram.

Collection 03 by Disciplina Studio is made of coarsely-cut zinc oxide plated steel which resulted to a persuasive collection on mirrors. The designer Tomas Diaz Cedeno applied a nickel-rust plating process which was responsible for the textured effect of the collection and gave way to the idea of rawness of the material. Photo by @formundrausch from @trnknyc instagram.

Cover Photo by @formundrausch from @trnknyc Instagram.

Hanna Dumlao is a licensed Filipino Interior Designer who specializes on Residential Interiors and Visual Merchandising. She is a part-time Design and Theory Educator at the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde and currently sits as Creative and Design Director for local furniture brand, Nu Home.

Obtaining a master’s degree in Fine Arts and Design, Hanna is a creative who strongly believes in multidisciplinary collaboration. She holds onto the manifesto of Phenomenology or pure and direct experience through observation, conversation, delight, and wonder.

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