BLICKFANG WIEN 2007
HAPPENINGText: Christina Merl
Design freaks like myself gathered at the opening of the fourth Blickfang, an international furniture fair in the Vienna MAK, in October.
Food-Bowl by Pulpo
Blickfang is a progressive platform for young international design – the idea is that visitors not only look at furniture, accessories and fashion but that they have the chance to meet the designers, ask them questions and buy the design they like.
Blickfang was first launched in Stuttgart in 1993, followed by Zurich in 1997, and Vienna was the third to join as a platform for this event in 2004. Tokyo also joined as a venue for the event in 2006 as part of Tokyo Designer’s Week.
Teble Lamp by Pulpo
This Viennna event this year was populated by 140 exhibitors and most of them participated for the first time. Amongst the most standouts at the Vienna show, a series of products by Pulpo are made from a flat sheet; fruit bowls, hangers, tissue holders and table lamps. This two-dimentional pattern creates three-dimentional shapes, and it is an efficient means of manufacture as it only uses just a single material, which enables the end products easy to recycle.
Bi-Re-cycle Accessory by Lila Pix
The Bi-Re-cycle accessories are designed by Lila Pix, a duo that consists of an accessories designer/press & sales manager, Lili Ploskova, and a jewellery designer/production manager, Nik Sardamov. These accessories were made by old bicycle tyres. The collection is inspired by the idea of “bicycle” and “recycle”. This idea of contemporary street life and the mobility is presented in various forms of accessories showing us the endless possibilities of recycled materials.
Performa Nuf, a slide-board system by Performa
Performa Nuf is a cupboard system by Performa, a German furniture brand headed by Martin Kleinhans and Matthias Eckert. This is a remarkable design concept as these units could be used anywhere, and they could be used for anything; these container elements are not fixed to each other as in a normal rigid structure, but can be slid over one another smoothly, and it allows the users to have any combinations they like. This “slide-board” system is beautiful in many ways, aesthetically and functionally. With its six different container formats in a selection of colours, Performa Nuf is inarguably a highly variable piece of furniture system.
After their international successes in New York, London, Barcelona and Prague, the independent platform PureAustrianDesign for the first time showed their design in their home town.
Along with the exhibitions, lounge, DJs, fashion shows, short films and lectures formed the framework of the innovative design event.
A few fresh and funny ideas caught my eye.
Blickfang Wien 2007
Date: October 19th – 21st, 2007
Place: MAK
Address: 3 Weiskirchnerstrasse, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: +49 (0)711 990 9390 (Blickfang GmbH)
https://www.blickfang.com
Text: Christina Merl
Photos: Courtesy of Blickfang