orme cinesi by francesco meda

‘orme cinesi’ by francesco meda

this project, by francesco meda, was formed in hong kong at schoeni art gallery, which was turned into a space representative of the contemporary italian design scene in order to intervene and alter a vast collection of classical chinese furnishings. an operation of intersection and encounter between two profoundly different cultures, which aims to investigate the possibility of a new outcome. the approach, respectful of the characteristics of both cultures, maintains the thousand-year long chinese hand-craft tradition, while also contaminating these elements with symbols of western industrialization. the ingenuity in furniture design really started in the 1930s and is marked with the technology of the curved tube (bauhaus).

‘orme cinesi’, is a tribute to the simplifying theory of functionalism, eliminates a few ‘redundant’ elements, in order to bring out other ones considered iconic symbols of the chinese culture and language. starting from the ‘curved armchair’ particularly suitable for the experiment, since the wooden ring of the back of the chair has been turned into an iron tube, the collection is enriched by other pieces. these works include the altar-table, benches, a low table and dining chair, all designed with the same language. this collaboration was difficult, from a strictly logistical point of view, due to the long distance but was made possible by contemporary technologies such as the web and digital 3D drawing techniques, which enabled a study model realized in italy while the constructive development of the collection occurred in china. it has been an experience which saw the knowledge of both chinese and italian craftsmen exchanging techniques of both wood and notions of cultural tradition to build the collection. 

‘orme cinesi’ collection is now exhibited in hk by lane crawford store.

stock of classic chinese furniture

a carpenter at work

old horseshoe armchair from 19th century becomes a cantilever chair

exploded view of wooden chinese parts and "steel style" western tube

blue, bronze and chrome colors

artisans showing their fine craftsmanship

high and low table with new legs

tea stand in jaijing hard wood from northern china

tea stands with top desk in cypress wood from southern china

meeting between western and eastern culture

orme cinesi is now exhibited at lane crawford in hong kong

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