Design Museum Holon explores the dynamics of creative relationships

Israel’s Design Museum Holon has just opened its doors to ‘The Conversation Show’, an exhibition that explores five creative relationships at the root of five global design studios. In this intimate investigation, the role of the curator, Maria Cristina Didero, has been particularly analytical, and the works on display are the outcome of creative processes that transcend the fundamentals of conventional product design.

‘The show is based on emotions and interaction,’ says Didero. ‘It is an exhibition focusing on the idea of reciprocity and exchange, investigating true and deep bonds of designers who think and work in perfect unison, as well as the creative results of their distinctive approach.’

Five distinguished design firms were chosen for the project: Amsterdam-based cooperative BCXSY (Boaz Cohen and Sayaka Yamamoto); Vienna-based studio mischer’traxler (Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler); Jaffa-based studio Reddish (Naama Steinbock and Idan Friedman); New York-based multidisciplinary practice Snarkitecture (Daniel Arsham, Alex Mustonen and Benjamin Porto) and Venice-based studio Zaven (Enrica Cavarzan and Marco Zavagno).

The behaviour of communication within collaboration creates an intimate portait in the show. ‘This is a very important exhibition, and is particularly close to my heart because, more than any other show I have curated, it is really centred around people, their creative processes – on collaboration, listening and sharing in order to produce design. It is also very significant that this project, which is based on people and talks about people and relationships, should take place in a country as unique as Israel,’ Didero explains.

The creative processes of these five selected studios are all based on the idea of beauty and innovation, and reveal a sense of accessibility to their design language that might have not been available before. ‘I would like to thank all the designers who have worked with me on this show for being so open, generous and curious – for revealing themselves to us,’ says Didero. ‘At the end of the day that was the biggest challenge. They did not give up when asked: “how do you start a project? How do you develop it? Who are you, how do you think? How could you explain your creative process to the public?”’

Using mirrors designed for Gufram, Snarkitecture creates an immersive installation that alters the monochromatic architectural surrounds, transforming the space into its vision of a parallel universe. Titled, The Hall of Broken Mirrors, it was designed for the museum’s Lower Gallery, while the other four projects are situated in the Upper Gallery of the building designed by Ron Arad in 2010.

Elsewhere, Mischer’traxler realises a kinetic light installation entitled Coalesque that visualises the couple’s conversations, while Reddish concentrates on the idea of equilibrium and synergy with Balancing Act – a collection of mobile objects that interact both with each other and the visitors. Zaven mixes light and colour in Dune, a collection of lamps made fused glass sheets that are the result of the designers’ experimentation with traditional Venetian craft techniques.

Finally, duo BCXSY’s project examines the concept of balance as the starting point for every creative process and their site-specific piece, titled Reciprocal Syntax, can only be activated by two participants working together.

Go behind the scenes with BCXSY and their collaborative process

INFORMATION

‘The Conversation Show’ is on view until 26 October. For more information, visit the Design Museum of Holon website

ADDRESS

Pinkhas Eilon St 8, Holon
5845400
Israel

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