“Distorted” is a collection of objects by industrial design duo Monica Albini and Adriana C. Cota inspired by visual effects. Albini and Cota use reflective materials to bring a unique and dynamic effect to the objects when in use.
Each of the three series in “Distorted” includes subtle additions and vicissitudes that don’t have an immediate impact on the overall design.
The “House of Mirrors” comprises four simple shelving units, the construction of which naturally frames the objects it holds. The addition of shaped sheets of mirrored stainless steel projects a distorted, hardly recognisable image of the object on display.
“Drop” is a collection of five glass vases that explore the compliance and manipulation of heated glass during the blowing process. Each one is uniquely shaped, illustrating the delicacy of the distorted hardened glass as a result of the exploration of twists and turns during the shaping process.
A drop of colour pooled at the bottom of each vase is subtly reflected throughout the object.
The “Inside Out” lamps explore the fluidity of light. Inspired by natural shadows cast by the morning light, the patterns on the lamp’s outer shell are only visible when illuminated, calling attention to the diffraction of light through glass.
“When creating these lamps, I explored light distortion and used it as an ephemeral material where the effects evoked became a key factor of the final shapes,” says Albini
Albini graduated in product design from at IED Europeodi Design Milano in 2011 while Cota studied industrial design at Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico, graduating in 2012. Both designers went on to Advanced Studies in Luxury Design and Craftmanship at ECAL in Lausanne, Switzerland. They exhibited “Distorted” at Milan Design Week 2014.
