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exploring the potential of copper in design world

issue 19 March 10www.copperindesign.org

copperindesign

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Il Rame e la Casa

Enameled Skin

Ploppe Copper

Beau Joie Bottle

Naked Radioobjects

furnishing

projects

furnishing

objects

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www.copperindesign.org is a meeting space for contemporary designers and their followers. This international platform provides a comprehensive source of information on the crafting of the red metal: copper creations, first-hand accounts from designers, exhibitions, competitions and many others. The website is aimed at creators, design professionals, journalists and all copper-loving netsurfers, offering them an invitation to (re)discover this material whose natural properties have established it over the past few years as an essential feature of the design scene.Sponsor: European Copper Institute www.eurocopper.org

Totems

Series of bronze

Open Box Shelves

objects

art

Te a me

Littler Liars

objects

art

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The Italian Copper Institute has announced the winners of the third Copper and the Home Competition, celebrating the success of an initiative that is now among the main events in the world of design.Over 300 projects were entered into the competition, submitted by professional architects and designers as well as students in schools of graphics, design, interior design and architecture from all over the world, who have used copper and its alloys to create household furnishings or decorations. The winning projects represent new concepts for, or reinventions of, common household items created using copper, either in its pure state, or as an alloy such as bronze or brass, and perhaps in combination with other materials, exploring the infinite expressive and functional possibilities of a time-honoured but very contemporary metal.The competition originated from a desire to relate the modern story of a historic and beautiful material in an innovative and unconventional way.In the Professional Category, the first prize was awarded to designer Emanuele Magini for his project “Willy”.The second prize went to designer Ernesto Messineo, creator of “Segui la tua passione”.Anaick Lejart of ENSAAMA (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Metiers d’Art, Paris) won first prize in the Student Category with the project “4.5 mm”.

Link: www.iir.it

2010 Design CompetitionCopper and Home

projects

Korean designer Kwangho Lee has recently designed a new collection of furniture titled Enamelled Skin Copper Series. For the project, Lee, along with a few designer friends, travelled around many rural areas of South Korea.Enamelled Skin Copper Series is the start of a long-term collaboration between Lee and his peers. Their goal is to try and revive old Korean crafts using modern techniques and applications. Though typically known for his furniture objects made from a colourful array of knitted telephone and cable wires, Lee’s interests in traditional enamelling first began during his studies at Seoul University.This enamelling technique is ‘becoming a forgotten craft,’ says Lee. Generally it has been applied to small housewares and jewellery, but for this furniture collection, Lee poured the enamel onto large pieces of copper furniture, such as stools, tables, cabinets and chairs, changing the typical application of this traditional craft.

Link: www.kwangholee.com

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Kwangho LeeEnameled Skin Copper Series

furnishing

Polish designer Oskar Zieta has designed a metal stool called Plopp for Danish furniture brand Hay.The stools are made from hydro-formed copper; two sheets of copper are welded together following the outline of the stool, which is then filled with fluid under pressure.The legs of the stool are then bent into place, creating a form that Zieta likens to inflatable furniture.The idea was to produce stable and convenient furniture out of thin metal sheets using the potential of hydro-formed metal surfaces.This was achieved by placing welds along the outer contour line and the interior. The interior welds as well as the pressure of the poured-in fluid applied limits and control to the formation of interior cushions, creating the final shape resembling the pattern on the BlowUp Furniture.The result is a light construction which can be easily mass-customised at low production costs with well-established techniques.

Link: www.zieta.pl

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Oskar ZietaPlopp Copper Family

furnishing

One of the world-famous brands in the field of liquor and champagne, Toast Spirits, has announced the launch of an all-new luxury Brut champagne called Beau Joie. Beau is designed specifically to bring out the best of this year’s festive season. The all new Beau Joie is made from some of the finest-quality wines, whose ingredients are derived from the grapes of Epernay, France. The Beau Joie champagne comes in a bottle encased in a 100% copper, hand-crafted outer shell. The copper-shelled bottle serves to keep the Beau Joie colder for extended periods of time and at the same time provides a more sustained grip on the bottle while opening and serving.

Link: www.beaujoiechampagne.com

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Toast SpiritsBeau Joie Bottle

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British designer Simon Hasan aims to imbue his work with a richness, heritage and texture born from historical research and a fascination with obscure crafting techniques.Naked Radio nods to the experimental, home-grown roots of early crystal radio sets through a vertical assembly in which key components are freed from their usual cubic existence. Functions are controlled by the corresponding component: volume adjustment is made by turning the speaker, whilst tuning is altered via the aerial. The use of varied materials, including the main structure in brass and the base in stainless steel, is derived from the rich fittings used in the early 20th Century, whilst metal firmly places the radio in the family of 21st Century audio objects.

Link: www.simonhasan.com

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Simon HasanNaked Radio

objects

Terms like ‘intercreativity’ and the ‘product life circle’ become more important every day. By using their knowledge of the development of new products, the designer upholds responsibility towards society and nature.Vienna-based designer Vera Wiedermann develops solution-oriented products for everyday situations, as well as forward-thinking concepts and strategies in the fields of product and interior design, focusing in its work on functionality and the current needs of society. In order to meet this expert role in collaborations and concept development, Vera Wiedermann concentrates its research on different aspects of life science and social studies. In this way, objects which provide improved life quality are created.Te A Me is a new water jug that can be placed directly on the stove for brewing tea, or, alternatively, can be used as a kettle. A thermomagnetic saucer allows direct serving of hot water at the table. The jug is manufactured in brass.

Link: www.verawiedermann.com

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Vera WiedermannTe A Me

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Donald CoreyTotems

Sometimes a visual reminder of our goals is just what we need in order to focus and really go after them. Young American designer Donald Corey follows this philosophy, bringing us a series of Totems to help encourage us. As Corey puts it, “How can you ‘package’ ideals or qualities? Totems are an attempt to do just that. The cricket represents ‘Luck’, the spider ‘Power’ and the lightning bug, ‘Creativity’.”The totems are traditional physical representations of these hard-to-possess-and-define qualities and traits. Placing these objects around the home or office focuses the user’s attention and energy on achieving these ideals.Corey wanted to make the objects in 3D metal-origami. Each of the bugs is made in brass with crystal elements and pure silver leaf used for details. The packaging consists of translucent take-away boxes, to give the idea that these totems are available at a modern apothecary where you can find interesting remedies to life’s problems.

Link: www.theotheredge.com

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Tatiana Sánchez is the young Mexico-based creator behind the Jalea Jalea line of accessories, which combines traditional craftsmanship techniques with modern technology. Sánchez uses a combination of recycled and native materials to express and explore her take on design in the social context around her. Tatiana Sánchez’s designs are an exploration, a debate between aesthetics and the social context that surrounds her. Her jewellery, made of brass, is inspired by the clash of social classes and culture, the possibilities inherent in materials, decorative techniques and colour. Living and working in Monterrey, she combines traditional craftsmanship techniques and industrial technology to create these limited edition pieces of wearable art.From far away, the necklace looks like an intricate abstract design, but on closer inspection, it is possible to see the pattern is made up of the outlined shapes of flowers, apples, cherries, and hummingbirds.

Link: www.jaleajalea.com

Tatiana SánchezJalea Jalea

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Little Liars was the nickname of the radio receivers in the Soviet Union that would receive only one single frequency. These radios, usually installed in the kitchen, were part of every Soviet household, and had to be on all day. They were the only source of information on what took place in the rest of the world, and as well as the newspapers at that time this medium was also controlled entirely by the state.Little Liars consists of nine unique bronze casts of these radios, which were designed by the Dutch artist Bik Van der Pol during a residency in Kiev.As part of their continuous research on the effect of knowledge – or the lack thereof – on a community or society, Bik Van der Pol investigated how information was being disseminated to the public, and how the events following the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl have implanted and continue to manifest themselves in private and public life. During the casting process, the original radios disappeared and as a result of this, they have been fully replaced by the bronze material. Despite that, every detail, inscription, marking and structure, is conserved in the bronze, a material that is traditionally used to cast monuments and public sculptures.

Link: www.bikvanderpol.net

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Bik Van der Pol Little Liars

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As modern philosopher of the everyday object, the designs of New York-based artist Ron Gilad invite viewers to question and even doubt the form and functionality of ubiquitous objects, furniture and lighting. Exploring and conceptualising notions of proportion and scale, Gilad’s works do indeed sit on the fat, delicious line between the abstract and the functional. Open Box Shelves is a collection of minimal bookshelves made of enamelled brass and ultra-clear glass. Every shelf is an amalgamation of material with an aesthetic play, a transparent design that makes each book clearly visible. It can be used to store books or decorative objects.

Link: www.rongilad.com

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Ron GiladOpen Box Shelves

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