Rubber thorns, rocky lumps and haunting faces all feature in a collection of cups by more than 30 different artists and designers, presented at Copenhagen's Cafe Sommersko during 3 Days of Design.
Tableau founder Julius Værnes Iversen was commissioned by Sovino Group to curate the show, simply named Cups, together with artistic director Liv Vaisberg, founder of the Collectible fair in Brussels and co-founder of Design Biennale Rotterdam.
The exhibition marked the 50th anniversary of Cafe Sommersko, the first bistro cafe to open in the Danish capital, with a long history of championing contemporary art.
Each designer produced limited-edition cups, which were piled up on the cafe's shelves and countertops, and presented inside a vintage Citroën 2CV Fourgonnette parked outside.
"The cup is one of the most familiar objects in our daily lives, yet it carries an extraordinary emotional and cultural significance," Værnes Iversen told Dezeen.
"It is an object we use multiple times a day, often without thinking about it, but it is also deeply connected to rituals, hospitality, conversation and moments of pause."
"We were interested in elevating this everyday object and exploring how much personality, craftsmanship and storytelling can be contained within such a simple form," he added.
Some of the cups in the exhibition put a new spin on traditional forms and typologies, while others are more playful, and some are barely recognisable as cups at all.
The works of Amsterdam studio House of Rubber and Estonian designer Heiter X were among the most radical examples, along with the squidgy pink creations of Rotterdam-based Odd Matter and the unfinished-looking pieces of Georgian designer Ia Kutateladze.
There were recognisable contributions from Danish glass designer Helle Mardahl and Dutch designer Richard Hutten.
But many of the pieces were newly developed, such as a press-moulded cup by Dutch designer Rick Tegelaar and a rope-inspired design by Belgian designer Jane Wright.
Among the more intriguing offerings were those of Danish designer Jacob Egeberg, whose sculptural cups incorporate the forms of nuts and bolts, and Dutch ceramicist Glina3, who used 3D printing to create distorted flower motifs.
Danish designer Carl Johan Jacobsen created a design that wraps around a takeaway cup, while the cups with faces were by Danish artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen.
Other notable additions included those of Rotterdam-based ceramicists Sari Rikken and Giulia Cosenza, which stack to form totems, and Dutch designer Willem van Hooff, who etched the words "sorry" and "tired" into his designs.
"What surprised us most was the sheer breadth of interpretations; we expected to receive beautiful ceramic cups, but many submissions challenged the very definition of what a cup can be," said Værnes Iversen.
"Some approached it as a sculptural object, others as a conceptual artwork, while many explored unusual materials, narratives and production techniques," he stated.
"We were also struck by how personal the submissions felt," he added. "Many designers used the cup as a vehicle for discussing memory, identity, ritual or place."
Cups was one of many shows that Tableau was involved with during 3 Days of Design, as Værnes Iversen discussed with Dezeen in an exclusive interview ahead of the festival.
Visitors who bought a cup from the cafe during 3 Days of Design were first served a cup of coffee in their purchase, bringing a sense of ritual into the exhibition. Now the show is over, a selection is available for purchase via Tableau.
All photography is by Tableau, except for the van, which was photographed by Amy Frearson.
Cups was presented from 10 to 12 June 2026. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.