vase vs. vases exhibition at the helmrinderknecht, berlin

vase vs. vaseshelmrinderknecht, berlinon now until january 9th, 2010

the vase can be noted as an object of utility and decoration. moving on from its simple methods of production and craftsmanship, today the vase has become a mass produced piece of design, found in almost every household, expressing a range of techniques and aesthetics.

vase vs. vases is helmrinderknecht‘s second show completely dedicated to the subject. 15 international artists and designers have been invited to show their interpretations of the common object. tension between diverse forms of design engineering, a range of materials and production approaches have been explored in the works on show. the result is an experimentation of sorts, enhancing the everyday role of the vessel.

bucket vase, 2009 by tina roeder editions of 5 +1

almost too frugal and too obvious – as if the object would already exist in the collective memory. the banal simplicity of the white porcelain bucket vase by tina roeder baffles and inevitably points out the magnitude incorporated in such a design. the bucket made out of pure silver 925 emphasizes simplicity and turns reticence into elegance. inspired by the basic plastic buckets used in flower shops, it celebrates the generosity of giving flowers.

L vase, 2009 by robert stadler edition of 15 + 5

stadler’s intention with Lvase was to point out an important financial and juridical problem – the counterfeit of luxury brands. Lvase draws on this current urban scene of the illegal street salesmen wrapping their replicated items into pieces of cloth and escaping authorities. the Lvase is filled with concrete and its immobility symbolizes the fact that this problem cannot be easily removed. is this a bad bag or a good vase? in terms of brand quality and authorship it is a ‘bad’ bag, but after the shift in typology from bag to vase it can be considered as something ‘good’. the plastic fabric provides a waterproof mould for pouring the concrete, its handles enable it to be moved around and its weight offers a stable container to display flowers.

RGB vase, 2009 by oscar diaz edition of 8

the RGB vase combines a process like glass blowing, a process refined over more than two thousand years ago, but which references contemporary culture. based on the RGB color system, the vase works as a three dimensional pixel, where the values of red, green and blue overlap to create a specific hue of purple(p242) which only appears when the vases are nested within one another and as light passes through. a computer was used to calculate the exact amount of pigment that each vase should have in order to achieve that purple color.

fish futures, 2009 by martí guixé

based on a drawn concept of a vase, guixé’s contribution is a corked glass vase, filled with water and floating upright. fish futures is a reference to the objects he has designed for fishtanks which were based on interaction or function, discarding decorative purposes. it includes a feeding area, system to travel in hostile areas, a chill-out zone, oxygenation area etc.

vase plant no. 1, 209 by osko + deichmann edition of 20 + 2

in nature, the leaves of the bormeliad form a funnel to collect water to nourish the plant, with roots only serving as stabilizers in the soil. osko + deichmann have transformed an ordinary bromeliad into an object where roots are completely free from soil, the plant  centered and is in an almost floating position on a marble edifice. the use of marble as a main pillar increases its value and serves as a reference to neo-clasical pageantry vases. a flower stands in the vase, but is the flower part of the plant, or just debris placed there intentionally? the constraints of perception begin to blur, along with the presumption that a cut flower would be more alive than the vase itself. the bromeliad lives as both plant and vase, the full beauty of the living object gains importance in the presence of the perishable.

podium, 2009 by nicholas le moigne gold, silver, bronze, edition of 5 + 2

in observing the systems used by art and modern design galleries for displaying objects – the iconic white plinth – le moigne came up with the idea of irrevocably associating them with the object put on display. each stand and vase is linked by a common technique, with enameled ceramic, and follows a mathematical logic. the dimensions and shape of each vase have been determined in relation to the plinth’s proportions. the upper part of the vase has a noble function that is setting off its chosen contents, while the stand retains its more sober and modest function.

chop, 2009 by herrmann august weizenegger edition of 8

the aesthetics of the vase’s surface is defined by the use of sensual attributes which have been determined by an electronic production process which leaves marks / traces similar to the ones of a manually produced object. laser cut from cardboard, it shows minimal fringes at the edges of the cut. these traces relate to the material and are also intended by the designer, to provide the vase with its own substantial profile, reminding one of more natural materials like wood and sedimentary stones. the functional morphology refers to such tectonic and geological layers in combination with non-conformity in erosion.

brief moment of happiness, 2009 by studio glithero provided by funds of the vauxhall collective read more here

the show also includes work by werner aisslinger, giulia maria beretta, frédéric dedelley,  alfredo häberli, robin van hontem, julia maendler and ursula palla.