Design Miami/Basel 08: Julia Lohmann is one of four Designers of the Future at Design Miami/Basel this week.

Along with Max Lamb, Martino Gamper and Kram/Weisshar, Lohmann was asked to produce a body of work using concrete and wool for the collectors' fair, which runs until tomorrow.

Her response is a series of concrete tables cast onto a woven wool backing.

See our earlier story for more details of all this year's Designers of the Future.

Here's some info from Lohmann:

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Resilience
concrete and wool tables
Julia Lohmann 2008

My response to the concrete and wool brief set by Design Miami/Basel is based on research into man-made structures that are exposed to the elements, re-conquered by nature and demolished by humans as well as the effects of natural disasters on the built environment.

The concrete and wool objects on show play with a role reversal of qualities we associate with man-made and natural materials. Concrete, which is normally considered a structural and long-lasting material, is cast in two-dimensional forms onto a woven wool backing.

Then, in a design process that harnesses destructive force and the 'undesirable' effects of decay as a creative tool, the concrete shapes are broken up. Held together by wool, normally deemed the weaker material of the two, the fragmented forms are then reconfigured into three-dimensional shapes and fixed. This process allows the creation of a wide range of unique objects based on shapes cast in a single mould.

Additional info: http://www.designmiami.com/basel/spotlight/