'clock inlays' by formafantasma
image © designboom

during the milan design week 09, droog presented 'secret natures' exhibition-
new work by studio makkink & bey, formafantasma (andrea trimarchi & simone farresin),
chris kabel, studio nacho carbonell, luc lachaert & d'hanis, nadia pedreschi and next architects.

'secret natures' exhibition travels to droog new york’s first event.
hidden clutter, hidden meaning, hidden functions and hidden value all become
illuminated at droog new york exhibition since its opening in february.
the exhibition is from may 16th to june 30th 2009.


'clock inlays' by formafantasma
image © designboom

formafantasma produced 'clock inlays' using intricately shaped inlays which are incorporated
into chip board—transforming the material from under to upperlayment™.


'tool inlays' by formafantasma
image © designboom

'tool inlays' incorporates carefully cut inlays in the shape of the tools used to make the furniture.


'tool inlays' by formafantasma
image © designboom

see more images of 'hidden inlays' by formafantasma.




'seam chair & bench' by chris kabel
image © designboom

'seam chair & bench' are made of an inexpensive industrial packaging textile that is sewn into
the form of the object. to gain rigidity, the textile outfit is filled with sand and placed in a high
pressure high temperature oven (autoclave), in which the textile melts and cures. the sand is
removed leaving a hollow interior and a strong yet lightweight chair and bench.


'seam chair ' by chris kabel
image © designboom


'seam banch' by chris kabel
image © designboom





'chroma key' by minale-maeda, a set of furniture pieces upholstered in blue fabric
image © designboom

a set of furniture pieces upholstered in blue fabric, 'chroma key' by minale-maeda brings the
cinematographic technique of replacing a blue background with a scene of choice into the
living environment, suggesting that objects can also join the world of make believe. minale-
maeda render a classic upholstery pattern into the tone of blue through a moiré effect of white
and blue stripes.
'we began with the idea that most things are judged by how they appear, but often appearance
can be an illusion. by bringing a technique that is normally limited to producers of visual culture
(cinematographers) onto furniture, we are playing with the boundary between being in the
audience and being a participant of visual culture. by bringing the technique into people’s home,
in a way we are making the illusion more real,' explain the designers.


'chroma key' by minale-maeda
image © designboom





'skin' by studio nacho carbonell
image © designboom

in the 'skin' furniture, a thin, closely adhering and elastic layer allows the user to place objects
underneath it. this layer adapts and takes the form of the objects, creating spontaneous contours
that lead your curiosity to discover what hides beneath them. nacho wants us to become playful
and child-like: 'you'll like playing hide and seek!' he says and follow on to explain why he chose
for the unconventional leg heights, ' it's all about changing the point of view, one's way of
perceiving things'.
the outermost layer of 'skin' can be stretched over the things you keep around you,
hiding daily messes. with forms and their heights inspired by fantasy and dreams, nacho
carbonell aims to change the point of view on things.
'the intention is to revive one’s curiosity in what hides underneath.
it’s not only about hiding but also about discovering.'


detail of 'skin'
image © designboom


'skin'
image © designboom






'house of furniture parts' by studio makkink & bey
image © designboom

architecture, furniture and storage all in one. studio makkink & bey used standard sheets of
ply cut with cnc machinery, created a miniature house to stand within larger interiors of offices,
studios and lofts. the functionality and character of the house can be changed as more or
less furniture is used, with walls of stools, benches and table parts which are easily
assembled.


'house of furniture parts' by studio makkink & bey
image © designboom


'house of furniture parts' by studio makkink & bey
image © designboom






'obsession table' by nadia pedreschi


'obsession table' by nadia pedreschi

an outcome of droog’s im masters at the design academy eindhoven, obsession table by
nadia pedreschi is a manifestation of peoples’ desire to create a sense of order.
the perfect lines on the table make our common mental act of aligning visible.


'obsession table' by nadia pedreschi







anamorphosis by luc d’hanis & sofie lachaert
image © designboom

when porcelain platters meet reflective object, the distorted drawings of precious birds
on the platter become perfectly reflected on the bottles or cups. the awareness of the birds'
potential extinction emerges only when objects are carefully aligned as a pair.


anamorphosis by luc d’hanis & sofie lachaert
image © joris luyten

see more images of ' anamorphosis ' by luc d’hanis & sofie lachaert





'ready made bookshelf' by next architects
image © designboom

more than any other object, a filled bookcase reflects the identity of its owner.
at the moment of purchase this ready made reflects the collective intellect of
centuries of literature: the top 100 of all time, everything you ought to have read –
but never got around to. filling the case means replacing classics by a personal selection.


detail of 'ready made bookshelf' by next architects
image © designboom


general view of the exhibition
image © designboom