Confrontations | Formafantasma

In conjunction with a major retrospective on Gerrit Rietveld, Vitra Design Museum has invited five of the most innovative designers working in the Netherlands to join a partner from the region in developing a design proposal. The activity, deeply rooted in Swiss tradition, was economically important when charcoal was produced as a metallurgical fuel, but was banned in the 20th century due to deforestation and CO2 emissions. Despite the negative connotations, a few charcoal burners are still operating today. The passing of time has, in fact, morphed this elaborate production process into a nostalgic ‘happening’, often relegated to festive folk events. In other parts of the world charcoal burning is still a reality. In the Congo, for example, charcoal burning threatens the ‘Virunga National Park’, one of the nations biggest natural reserves. Studio Formafantasma, whose previous work comments on the notion of tradition and nostalgia, draw inspiration from the tension between the dystopian connotation of charcoal, causing pollution and destruction, while also being employed in healthcare and water purification. Historians have found evidence that carbon filtration was used by the ancient Egyptian’s while in Japan it is still common today to use a few, simple charcoal branches to purify tap water. In collaboration with a glass blower and wood carver, the designers produced a series of jars and wooden ‘filters’. Over the course of a few days spent with Mrs. Wicki and photographer Luisa Zanzani in a forest in the surrounding areas of Zurich, the customized wooden pieces were left burning and deteriorating while the process was documented. The charred remains were further sculpted into a series of elements to be added to the jars. In addition a small glass bottle was blown into a hollow carbonized log: the resulting glass becoming opaque and textured where it came into contact with the charcoal, yet maintaining clarity in the rest of the body. During the opening of the exhibition at ‘Vitra Campus’ the designers and Mrs. Vicki will build a small oven. In the gallery, alongside the design pieces, black charcoal bread (baked following a traditional recipe to aid digestion) and purified water will be served. Participants will be invited to ‘raise their glasses’ to this tradition and experience what this meant in the past: twelve hand made charcoal drawings portraying trees burning, polluted cities, fumes and black rain, will be featured in the exhibition to highlight the misuse of charcoal through the ages.