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My favorite designs this year were either based on reworking tradition in a new context, incorporated nature or were just downright practical. With a little magic of tasteful curation thrown in, of course. Sounds like I'm craving stability with an edge. Maybe that would help me count better.
Sabine Modder
mocoloco.com
mocoloco.com/art
Death is a fact of life, yet we are so often unprepared. Having lost some very special people over the past couple of years, I know that the Seeyou project by Ivanka would give me a sense of peaceful passage. The tombstone's blend of solid tradition with the serenity of an organic design that incorporates nature's touch makes this my favorite design of 2009.
Conceptual ceramics projects stayed with me this year, such as the Polderceramics from Atelier NL. The idea of using the soil to both grow the food and make the bowls in which it is served reinforces the need to make do with what we have. Forma Fantasma explored the use of kitchen ingredients as a workshop material in the Baked series of tableware, but the studio's Molding Tradition series was an investigation into craft and immigration. A lot of fine food for thought.
Persian Explosion from Studio Mango
Designers who updated tradition really appealed to me this year, especially when the focus was on textiles. Playing with Tradition by Richard Hutten and Persian Explosion from Studio Mango were two clever carpets whose visual wit are not simply of the moment. I also loved what Grant Heaps did with thousands of tiny coloured squares and lot of thread: the new needlepoint. Heaps created a pixellated tapestry of a scene that evokes that cabin nostalgia. Lots of work and a beautiful palette.
Maison Martin Margiela: Mat, Satiné, Brillant
My favorite exhibition of work in Milan was the Maison Martin Margiela installation in Zona Tortona. Huge snowglobes with nothing but water and glitter; trompe l'oeil rugs and wallpaper; the many shades and textures of white. It was a magical place, a workshop with a mood that was both industrious and zen.
I've been thinking about the RKS Laundry Pod for almost one whole year. I know it would make my hand wash cleaner (and greener). Maybe I'd even do more.
The Family Project is something I would love to see wherever I eat and drink, especially this time of year when getting settled (coat, scarf, mitts, bags, etc.) takes forever. It's never simple. I just want to hang my coat and stow my purse. Thank you, Kaman Tung, for helping to keep my belongings off the floor and under control.
I have to take serious issue with your best design of 2009. " I see you" is total status quo design, and a perfect example of someone spending 2 hours on research and creating something "pretty". I cant deny the objects beauty, but as "design" it is an utter failure. Do you know that over time " A ten acre cemetery will contain enough wood to build 40 houses, has 900 plus tons of steel, and another 20,000 tons of vault concrete" ( Mark Harris). and this is good design? This is ego driven design. This is completely irresponsible to post, especially as a " journalist". I understand this is just your opinion, but this being a design blog, understand the context of such a product before you pump it up and deem it good. This ego driven design totally undermines what death is about, letting go, not leaving a huge monolithic slab of concrete behind to alter the eco-system. You could always make up for it by doing a piece on a green cemetery, say Green Springs in NY. Design is about challenging the status quo, not pandering to it.
Death cannot be anything but a topic that is deeply personal, on so many different levels and for a variety of reasons. I take much inspiration from graveyards, not just from the monuments (which serve also as public art), but from the many layers of history and humanity that they contain and impart. To say that they can be magical places may seem disrespectful to some, but the care and, dare I say it, love, that go into the cultivation of public spaces that fulfill a private need is often quite fruitful. The Seeyou Project spoke to me on an emotional level when I first heard about it, and I was not disappointed when I saw it. Yes, it is aesthetically pleasing, but this is because of the peacefulness and respect that it conveys. It gives me a sense of sanctuary. Not bad for concrete, a material that surrounds us inelegantly too often. And as there are no hard and fast rules about how we manage death, nor should there be, the definitions of good design are not written in stone. Sustainability is indeed a necessary component of good design, and I believe the Seeyou Project can sustain memories, connections and mindfulness.
Sabine