Dezeen Magazine

Mueble Escultura Vol. 2

Mueble Escultura features design and art "without distinction" in Argentina

A divider informed by the Microsoft logo and a sculpture made of a single cord of iron in the shape of a chair were among the objects featured at the Mueble Escultura exhibition in Buenos Aires.

Curated by Lucila Garcia de Onrubia and Cinthia Kazez, the Mueble Escultura Vol 2 exhibition featured "sculptures that resemble furniture and furniture that resembles sculptures" created by a host of designers living throughout Argentina in response to an open call.

Mueble Escultura Vol. 2
The recent Mueble Escultura exhibit in Buenos Aires showcased a variety of local designers

"We work with the concept of 'mueble escultura', which serves more as a prompt than a theme, and prefer to think of each show as a panorama of contemporary production," curators Rubi and Kazaz told Dezeen.

"We were looking for work that interpreted our prompt in different ways, whether utilitarian, poetic, or conceptual, balancing that blurred line between art and design piece. This selection resulted in a more varied representation of hybrid works by both artists and designers that go beyond sculpture and collectable design."

Mueble Escultura Vol. 2
The pieces ranged from paintings to furniture

Displayed in a gallery space at Espinosa Studios in Buenos Aires, the exhibit showcased a variety of different mediums including sculpture, painting and furniture design.

A sculpture by artist Mariano Ullua consisted of the outline of an armchair made with a single cord of wavy iron.

A concrete table and stool
The exhibit highlighted sculptural furniture and furniture that looks like sculpture. Pictured is Relleno Sanitario by Oke Gomez Llambi

The Al Momento de Sentarse piece was Ullua's attempt to "transcend a medium", as the artist usually works as a painter.

Designer Oke Gomez Llambi (Grupo Bondi) displayed a stocky bench and jagged table made of hollow brick, cement and sand spliced together to form multi-coloured, textured surfaces.

These pieces, called The Relleno Sanitario, try to show how "function follows form", according to Rubi and Kazaz.

Product and furniture designer Franco Chimento created a textured, black shelving system with lines that extend outwards to end in dull points.

A black shelving system
The exhibit showcased a variety of production methods. Pictured is Saya by Franco Chimento

Made of wood and covered in coal, the piece nods to the traditional sheath of the Japanese katana sword, an object Chimento's father and grandfather collected as merchant seamen.

Other works include a spider-like aluminium chair with pronounced, mechanical joints created in 2003 by designer Fernando Poggio, ceramic shelves shaped like bows by Catalina Oz and a red, curved aluminium screen by Item informed by the Microsoft Windows logo.

An armchair made of wire
The pieces were displayed along a long, flowing rug. Pictured is Al momento de sentarse by Mariano Ullua.

The pieces were displayed along a long, flowing rug, which Rubi and Kazaz designed for the exhibit.

"We aimed, through the exhibition design, to appeal to a design language, using clean lines and a single color, to present both design and art pieces without distinction," said the curators.

A red screen divider
The pieces were selected from an open call for submissions. Pictures is Screentime by ITEM

"Because this mixing of practices is rarely seen here, we felt it was necessary to present a solid and serious show to legitimize this concept."

Elsewhere, the recent INTRO/LA exhibit brought together work from Los Angeles furniture designers.

The photography is by Felix Niikado.

Mueble Escultura Vol 2. was on show at Espinosa Studios in Buenos Aires from 28 October to 11 November. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

More images

A glass tabletop place on the tip of the hair of four saiyans
Work by Nicolás Requena aka China
An aluminum stool
Banco Hueso by Fernando Poggio
Bow shelves made of ceramic
Repisa I and Repisa II by Catalina Oz
Ladder like sculpture
Tres tortas by Santiago Cañadell y Laura Carpman
Twisting metal sculpture
Pa portarse mal se viste bien by Ginevra Landini
Stone planted
Work by Edgardo Rojas Peraza
Wooden benches with black circular seat
Banco Montón Grande and Banco Montón Chico by Taller Posible
A cylindrical seat
Diapasón by Marcela Cabutti
A wooden shelving system
Bicho 3 by Marcela Sinclair
Metallic stool
Sin Título ( Mesa Membrana) by Santiago Taccetti
Table made of wood and oxidized metal
Silo (pieza unica) by Martin Mercante
A hanging lamp covered in black fabric
BKF+H2 by Martin Huberman y El Estudio Normal
A railing like sculpture
Hierro, fotografia by Fabian Ramos
A pedestal made of columns of wod
Tilde by SSGC
Screen divider
Un animal que no puedo dejar de mirar by Juliana Iriart
Colorful, geometric shelving
Work by Elvira Amor
A painted divider
Biombo Crepuscular by Max Gomez Canle