The group exhibition If it’s a Chair reformulates, amplifies and extends the idea of Danish design showcasing objects by Kasper Kjeldgaard, Pettersen & Hein, Maria Bruun & Anne Dorthe Vester that might as well be labeled art. The emphasis being on materials and form, the works on view intervene with and transform the space in various ways.

Refining materials – concrete, oak, brass and steel – into vibrant elements constituting objects such as a bench, a stool, mirror or a mobile, the works shown are poetic, sensuous and fragile despite the masculinity of the materials. Exploring what happens when art operates out of a functional parameter and design works as a mere sculptural presence in a room they all continuously strive towards the freedom that allows the object rather than the definition to be the center of attention. The works of minimalism cut to the core and focused on industrially manufactured materials and spatiality as a counterpart to the personal and gestural expression of modernism. These physical manifestations in open space involved the audience without referring to any specific subjective truth letting the object claim its own interpretation. Donald Judd’s strict dichotomy relates to Richard Artschwager’s insisting on letting the viewer determine whether his works should be used or observed. Whereas Judd’s opinions quickly appeared conservative, Artschwager was far more open in his interpretation, which can be read in his quote “If you sit on it, it is a chair. If you walk around it and look at it, it is a sculpture”.

Base Bench was exhibited as part of the group exhibition HJEMLIGHED (homeliness) during the Biennale for Crafts and Design 2015, Copenhagen. Nine artisans, designers, architects and artists explored the home. Artifacts produced within arts and craft is often looked upon as objects which have a specific use and function and have therefore had their natural place within the home. This field of interest has however changed to incorporate a broader and more reflective artistic approach whose objects and ideas are often presented in the traditional exhibition space or gallery. In the exhibition the nine artisans, designers, architects and artists moved into a private apartment in Lavendelstræde 8, in central Copenhagen. For 20 days you were able to walk-in off of the street and explore how the exhibition blends in with the home.

Base Bench was created with the intention of gathering people around the dining table. In its gravity the bench appears grounded and fixed as a permanent element marking itself as a firmly established gathering place. Again we experimented with combination oak, stoneware and anodized aluminum.

In 2014 we created the minimal functional series of furniture – or objects as we call them. The idea sprang mainly from our different backgrounds in architecture and design. The idea became to morph the two into a series of objects that challenged the users perception of space and function.

‘Objects of use is the result of two worlds meeting. Two professions intertwining. Two people crossing, clashing and correlating. It is a borderland, a hybrid. A place to ask what constitutes architecture and what justifies the label of design.’

Objects of Use was first displayed in Copenhagen at the gallery Etage Projects. Our focus was on combining materials—oak, brass and stoneware—with a scenographic setup that challenged the viewers’ perceptions and asked the question, “Is it art or is it furniture?” In spring 2015, this project received The National Solo Prize at the Spring Exhibition at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen.