They dream of design | Imagined, for uncertain times

Even though the all the large design exhibitions and fairs are cancelled this year, we can come across some really fascinating projects in the virtual space. We can admire the works of 11 designer artists on the Imagined, for uncertain times exhibition, placed into an unearthly environment.

The beauty of being a designer lies exactly in that a dream can become a palpable reality. However, in the changed circumstances, it’s not at all sure that a design gets to the phase of implementation, and especially to a design fair, as the majority of events will not be hosted this year. Therefore, our imagination gets an unprecedented emphasis and appreciation. Ideas and dreams gain more value even amongst the professionals of the given fields.

Utharaa Zacharias and Palaash Chaudhary, the founders of design studio Soft-Geometry started to dream about whom they would want to work with if they ever had the chance during their quarantine in California. They ended up thinking: why shouldn’t they do it during the pandemic? So they contacted ten designers they consider inspiring and invited them to a virtual exhibition.

The works of the creators invited from all across the world include design objects, furniture, lamps and statues, too. The curators placed the objects into an unearthly environment, in a villa located in a fictitious island, where there are no clear boundaries between fantasy and reality. The idea was soon embraced by Barcelona-based studio SPOT, too: they are responsible for the impressive visual world of the exhibition, which they created with CGI (the same as the objects).

You can read mini interviews with the creators on the website of the exhibition, to whom the curators posed the question “What if...?” as a starting point before they started designing. The question is open for the audience and the broader creative community, too: anyone can submit their thoughts or designs which will then be shared on the site.

“With Imagined, we hope to fill a small part of the void caused by the epidemic. We can present a model vision for creative collaboration, mutual support within the design community and an opportunity to engage with a distanced audience” – defined the curators the ars poetica of the exhibition.

Imagined, for uncertain times (Between May 8 and June 8, 2020)

• art
• design
• CGI
• virtual