JOIN USEven in broad daylight, the shiny spikes in Vibhor Sogani’s creation evoked enough interest for visitors to examine this light installation ‘Dandelions’, closely. Statio-ned in the open area at National Small Industries Corporation Ground, Okhla, during the recently concluded India Design ID 2014, this artwork was just one of the forms that ‘design’ could take in the contemporary context.
In simple words, the three-day exhibition at the designated venue was not just a platform for interior designers to showcase their innovative ideas, but also for visitors to feast their eyes and indulge in critical appreciation of the out-of-the-box and extraordinary concepts.
Right at the entrance, were high-end brands – The Charcoal Project by Sussanne Roshan and a collaboration of Apartment 9 and Klove. Though both sported a gothic look, the Master Bedroom Suite theme for the former added a tint of fresh pink while the lights by Klove lent luminance to the stall. Titled ‘Boond Installation’, the gigantic chandelier light with mother-of-pearl effect by Klove had “250 blown glass-shafts which took three months to be put together and 24 hours to be set up at the venue,” informed Gautam Seth from Klove. Though the size of this piece appealed to the visitors the most, the designer’s personal favourite was a “Cone and Globe light”, much simpler in format and design.
Strolling inside this ‘design haven’, what elicited gasps of admiration was the remarkable intellect of a few designers that gave a funky twist to otherwise regular articles. Among these, what heightened curiosity was a shop replete with fancy mirrors.
Curated by Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), ‘Mirror Mirror... On the Wall’ was a perfect example of exquisite craftsmanship presented by his brand Design Alliance through works of artisans from Shakarpur. From textile painting blocks cut and pasted on mirrors to the regular hand mirrors in rose and sheesham, there was something attractive about each piece. The most quirky among these was the use of mirror in badminton rackets which can be hung as wall mirrors. A regular ‘must have’ for a sportsman’s room!
The real innovation and creativity was noticeable in designs by Anantaya from Jaipur. Bearing the stamp of Lutyen’s architecture, a ‘crusher’ in dead teak wood was as admirable as the 369 Mirrors. Talking about the former, Ayush Kasliwal, the brain behind the brand explains, “This crusher is called Parliament Pepper and it took me three years to find the mechanism which could enable crushing of not just one but almost every spice that can be freshly added while cooking.” Due to a ceramic blade at the end of the long cylindrical-wood which lends itself to adjustment, one can choose whether to powder the spice or coarsely granulate it.
As if this wasn’t sufficient, Ayush draws his inspiration from the daily-needs to device a foldable mirror – 30 degree, 60 degree and 90 degree (369) to allow women to apply lipstick without much effort!
The need for ‘design’ intruded even in food with the pop-up restaurant ‘Circus by The Park’ set up inside the exhibition area. Providing comfort to the children, the clown welcomed one and all as the vibrant red and white colours made the place look like a gaming zone. An ‘under-the table’ tea and dining experience based on Alice’s party made one fantasise about design in food.
The potpourri of colours continued at ‘Nur’ with an assortment of colourful cushions, chairs, etc which provided the visitors with vibrant ideas to deck up their childrens’ room. For the adults, Sarita Handa’s bedding options were opulent and Andy Home added to this with its leather cabin trunk filled with Victorian-style cushions.
Not wanting this design-journey to reach it’s destination, Metrolife ambled inside the tunnel created outside the concrete halls, by Sahil and Sarthak and aptly called, ‘The House of Contemporary’ and fell in love with the stunning graphic-design painted letterboxes, Choori lamp, wall-pocket and almost everything else they designed!
By now dusk had approached and Vibhor’s ‘Dandelion’ installation shone with its warm and cool effects through yellow and white LED lights. A design inspired from nature.