BIENNIAL PROJECT
Bless No. 60 Lobby Conquerors
This lounge is designed by Bless; a collaborative partnership founded in 1996 with work that merges art, fashion, object, and furniture design. Bless works with temporary stores that open in various cities, often in unconventional or domestic spaces. They rethink the conventions of fashion production and manufacture, bypass the definitions of haute couture or ready-to-wear, and challenge the formal confines of function. Their BLESS No. 60 Lobby Conquerors, displayed here, are related to an earlier piece of their collection, the BLESS N°07 Livingroom Conquerors that was a series of options for dressing existing furniture for private use. The Lobby Conquerors expand these ideas, with Finnish furniture company Artek, to customize the Kiki range that was designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara in 1960. The customization of the Artek Kiki seating not only dresses the pieces in garments, but introduces fragmented architectural add-ons that transform these classic lounge chairs into small interior/exterior units or what they call “architurniture.” These Lobby Conquerors inhabit the stair landing and invite interaction in two ways: some with the aim of connecting people and others, in contrast, are able to provide privacy and shelter. The aim is to make each element—the space, the furniture, and the visitors—of equal importance.
BIO
BLESS is a fashion/design studio created in 1997 by Ines Kaag—based in Berlin—and Desiree Heiss—in Paris. The two designers escape from any calibrated definition of fashion. They are faithful to their initial concept: dividing and combining creation between fashion, art, design, and architecture. They engage an independent work method, which often implements collaborations and interactions with friends, customers, and other contributors. Their creations are born from true personal needs: aiming for simplicity and comfort throughout daily life while aspiring for more visionary horizons. Their products, as well as their distribution systems, do not fit into any pre-established category; BLESS passes, without transition, from one area to another: from highly functional forms to conceptual propositions on the verge of abstraction. An unlimited, fluid and contemporary conception, BLESS does not promote any style—BLESS fits every style.
