Exploring the possibility of giving life to an object through tactile experience, creating a fragile, feminine object by countering traditional ‘masculine’ qualities like durability, safety and stability, giving shape to the brooding corners of our homes, and exploring the impact of craft, narrative and symbolism in everyday objects; Stockholm’s Beckmans College of Design presented one of the most thought-provoking and original student shows at last week’s Stockholm Design Fair – Never Mind the Object.
Studying our relationships with objects, and investigating the theory that it’s “not until objects are filled with content and reason that they become meaningful”, the Beckmans students toyed with techniques, concepts and communication to deliver an astonishing accomplished body of work. And it was not just the product designers showing off their considerable wares – the college’s long tradition of interdisciplinary student collaboration saw the project delivered with graphic design, short film clips and photography that is befitting some of the biggest – and most successful – names in design. Hurrah.