An exhibition curated by online gallery Adorno and Brooklyn-based HNH Gallery has opened in New York, bringing with it a range of experimental designs that push the boundaries of what furniture is meant to be. Dubbed MELT, the show is filled with design pieces that embrace an expressive, expressionist aesthetic, which has largely emerged from the New York design scene in recent years.
Throughout the space, pieces of furniture – also described by galleries as “functional art” – are displayed in clusters. Each piece was created by one of 30 New York-based designers who take a fun approach to their work, whether applying a cartoonish aesthetic or using unexpected materials. Gooey shapes, chubby chairs, brightly colored wood and pulp furniture sit alongside surfaces designed to cushion kicks, playground-inspired sofas and bioplastic containers.
“The pieces on display feel like a constant flow or movement that makes us feel dynamic and present at the same time,” says Martin Clausen, co-founder and creative director of Adorno. “Although the objects are static, they provide an opportunity to capture a moment in time, almost as if time has stood still.”
Hoping to provide a real insight into the fabric of the “melting pot of a design scene” in New York City, Adorno and HNH have brought together those who are based in the city and those who are rising stars. Collectively, however, many exhibits have never been seen before. Works by Jumbo, Studio POA, Joseph Algieri, Martina Guandalini rub shoulders with Nicholas Devlin, Gustavo Barroso and Michal Cihlar.
MELT is on display in HNH Gallery’s Williamsburg space for a full month, opening May 10 to coincide with the NYCXDesign festival, and runs during Frieze NYC through the end of May.
Also on view at NYCXDesign, an exhibition at Rockefeller Center that brings together pieces from Mexican artists, architects and designers who are based in Mexico or whose work has been influenced by the country.
HNH Gallery
119 N 1st Street
Brooklyn, NY 11249
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