Plytube furniture, a domestic compost distiller and a naturally false cabinet are just some of designs that can be seen at the Royal College of Art Campsite at Ventura Lambrate during the Milan Furniture Fair, from 12 to 17 April 2011.
The RCA’s Design Products Department will be showcasing designs by MA students and graduates, recently launched as part of the Design Products Collection, a new initiative by head of department Tord Boontje.
Located in an industrial hall off Via Ventura and curated by RCA tutor Onkar Kular, the exhibition hopes to draw attention to the breadth of talent coming out of the Design Products course.
Exhibition highlights will include graduate Seongyong Lee’s lightweight Plytube furniture constructed from tubes of wood veneer. There’s also the speculative Chicken Project of Kieren Jones, which looks to using every part of a chicken; while Lisa Johansson uses a variety of materials to create a domestic compost distiller.
Addressing the gap between a great student project and a product for the market, the Products Collection is about making original and innovative designs commercially viable. Boontje personally selected the designs in the collection and called it First Hand to signal the way it gives buyers direct access to these interesting designs.
While focussing mainly on furniture, the collection includes lighting, a clock, ceramics, jewellery and a kit to create your own 3D avatar computer game.
