Tear And Discover Furniture

Tear and Discover Furniture is an innovative conceptual furniture design series that explores the complex relationship between symbolic value and functional utility in contemporary consumer society. Created by Chinese designers Jie Gao and Hengguang Wu, this thought-provoking collection comprises four household products - a speaker, floor lamp, clock, and fan - each meticulously crafted using 1.5mm vegetable-tanned leather through an intricate wet shaping process. The design's distinctive feature lies in its interactive destructive element, where users must physically tear through the leather exterior to access the functional components within, creating a powerful metaphor for the tension between superficial symbolism and genuine utility in modern consumption. The leather wrapping, which undergoes an 8-hour soaking process to enhance its malleability, creates organic curves and forms that completely obscure the products' primary functions - sound is muffled, light is covered, time is concealed, and airflow is blocked. This deliberate obstruction serves as a commentary on how symbolic consumption has overshadowed functional value in contemporary society. The work, which earned a Bronze A' Design Award in the Fine Arts and Art Installation Design category, demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship through its precise leather wet shaping technique and stainless steel support structure, creating a striking visual tension. The dimensions of each piece are carefully considered, with the speaker measuring 345x345x1427mm, the floor lamp 372x305x1930mm, the clock 455x140x100mm, and the fan 360x200x1610mm, making each piece a substantial presence in any space. The project, completed in Shanghai in 2021, represents a critical examination of contemporary consumption patterns and challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with material goods.

Author: Adam Dawson

Keywords: furniture design, conceptual art, leather craftsmanship, consumer culture, interactive design, artistic installation

SOURCES:
https://competition.adesignaward.com/136522

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