Plan drawing of the Konstfack entrance and café showing the rearrangement of the space step by step. Dressing the existing interior with the modular tablecloths.
Degrowth, Step Two
Konstfack, University of Arts, Crafts and Design
Temporary Architecture, 2019
Temporary events, parties and exhibitions are an important part of art and culture, one could see them as embedded in the development of society. The primary function of these events is for people to gather, socialise and to enjoy life but can also open up for new perspectives, create a collective way of thinking and be the starting point for unestablished questions.
With the background and experience of working with the project Degrowth, Step One we have used our research in creating a proposal for an event at the Konstfack Degree Exhibition. We suggest that the café located at the entrance of the school will facilitate a meeting point for students and visitors to intermingle. By dressing the tables of the café in modular tablecloths we create a temporary platform for talks and for students to get the opportunity to use the stage to present their projects more in depth.
The idea on the table, in this case the modular table cloth, is to produce maximum change with minimal material and the use of textile allows us to easily expand and change the space.
What is served on the tablecloth represents the spirit of time and place. The tablecloth has been in use since the Middle Ages and is an artifact made out of a piece of fabric/surface that creates the foundation for a dressed table. Historically, the design of the table setting is connected to class and culture and the act of dressing the table maintains conventions, both including and excluding in regards to the notion of hospitality. A sense of inclusion is hopefully induced by the festive colours of our tablecloths and the playful way of assembling the waxy fabrics.
So what is on the table today? Using design to not only service the routines of everyday life but to also produce thought-provoking hesitations, the modular tablecloths play an important role in communicating the fact that the degree exhibition is a special occasion. These add-ons dress the school’s café, tying together the tables in different constellations and enveloping the existing stage where talks and discussions can take place during the time of the exhibition. Made out of PVC-coated fabric, the modular tablecloths are durable, ensuring the possibility of multiple use. They can flexibly cater to many scenarios post exhibition, by being folded back up and transported to new contexts.
Many tablecloths connected, creating a growing modular system of PVC-coated fabric.
Close-up of detail.
Product information and instructions for use.
Close-up, table top and ceramic bowls.
Pine extensions dressed in PVC, the project on display at Konstfack May 2019.
Objects connected to this project: Modular Tablecloths, Extensions, Ceramic Bowls
Related projects: Degrowth, Step One, To Dissect An Everyday Situation
Related projects: Degrowth, Step One, To Dissect An Everyday Situation