dante - goods and bads at milan design week 2012

dante – goods and bads at milan design week 2012 ‘side glance’ by dante, 2012 all images courtesy the designers

here is a preview of studio dante: goods and bads‘ inaugural collection.

the creative company is comprised of munich-based artist aylin langreuter and industrial designers christophe de la fontaine, of luxembourg, and munich-based benjamin hopf, debut its first collection, ‘side glance’, during milan design week 2012.

dante invited french film maker christopher roth to collaborate on their premiere furniture series by providing supplementary text to their collection. his linguistic sensibility helped to inform the shape of the dialogue-driven collection. included in the design compilation are a ceramic cube side table, two aluminum moustache-decorated vases, a shell-shaped armchair, a candle holder with magnifying reflective mirror, a modular furnishing system comprised of a shelf as well as a hatchet outfitted with a decorative tassel. each object featured in the debut series has been conceived of with a level of emotional or talisman-like treatment.

the collection is infused with a nostalgic quality brought about by aylin langreuter’s artistic and graphic approach in combination with the designers’ associative creative preference.

‘santo libre’ by cristophe de la fontaine, a leather armchair powder-coated steel base, leather seat 760mm x 740mm x 400mm

the ‘santo libre’ armchair is formed from a leather shell supported by a powder-coated steel base. the piece may be folded into itself, becoming a compact and portable furniture object. the designers note that the colorful leather patchwork has been influenced by the masks typical to mexican lucha libre professional wrestling.

‘parquet cubique’ by benjamin hopf, a cubic side table on wheels ceramic tiles in black, rose and yellow 400mm x 400mm

‘parquet cubique’ is a cubic side table formed from ceramic tiles and has been developed in a limited edition of 20 pieces.  ‘the high glossy ceramic tiles are laid in a fishbone geometry, which changes the cube’s view from every angle and even plays an optical trick like an ob-art pattern‘, note dante’s designers. the hidden soft castor wheels allow the cube to be easily moved throughout the space.

left: ‘gentle ones’ by benjamin hopf, a vase couple, aluminum with gloss coat in black and white, ‘tall and gentle’: 360mm diameter x 300mm, ‘small and gentle’: 340mm diameter x 150mm right: the decorative hatchet

the two vases have been developed in differing heights and decorated with the graphic of a moustache. ‘gentle ones’ is a singular piece, the components having been developed to rest next to one another, the graphic of the up-turned moustache is only whole when the two aluminum vases are positioned close to each other, making the lighthearted image complete. 

‘and so on’ by christophe de la fontaine, a modular furnishing system comprised of a shelf, sideboard, and side table beech wood supports, rose glass panels in black and natural wood square: 700mm x 700mm small rectangle: 300mm x 700mm  large rectangle: 300mm x 964mm

‘and so on’ is a modular furnishing system formed from beech wood and rose glass that may be constructed in various formations. dante tells designboom that they have experimented with the shapes of a coffee-table, shelf, and sideboard but believe there are several composition potentials left still untapped for the user to design themselves.

‘shining’ by christophe de la fontaine, a candle for wall and table versions ceramics, steel, mirror finished in white, rose, salvia and light grey, mirror, powder-coated steel structure in anthracite table: 183mm x 400 mm x 133mm wall: 183mm x 285mm x 170mm

‘shining’ is reminiscent of an antiquated candle holder in both wall-mounted and table set forms. however, the precise shape of the objects have been developed in a highly-modern perfect circle and cone. the ceramic base holds both the candle and the mirror component, the light of the candle further enhanced by its reflection in the shining surface.