Can a piece of art also be a functional everyday object? IKEA launches the IKEA Art Event collection 2021 with the aim to explore the sweet spot between art and function. For this ten-piece limited edition collection, IKEA has collaborated with some of the world’s most relevant and current artists of today; to create inspiring art pieces that will capture your imagination, which, at the same time, double-up as useful household items to be picked up, put back down, switched on and then off. It’s a wonderful new vision for art and home that doesn’t play by the rules.The collection will be available at your IKEA store and IKEA.com.kw on May 24th, 2021.
Since 2015, IKEA has collaborated with artists from around the world to create Art Event collections, celebrating various expressions of art through different genres and crafts; hand woven art rugs, toy art figurines in crystal glass and wall art such as photography, street art and illustrations. The purpose of these collections has remained the same throughout the years; to democratize art and make it accessible and affordable for everyone.
The ambition of the sixth edition of IKEA Art Event collection is to bring art to the homes of the many people. It is a limited collection that’s all about the magic that happens when the line between art and functional design blurs. This range of home furnishings presents an ingenious perspective on everyday things, inviting the wonder and curiosity sparked by art right into your home. To embark this journey, IKEA invited artists with different backgrounds from different parts of the world; Daniel Arsham (New York), Gelchop (Tokyo), Humans since 1982 (Stockholm), Sabine Marcelis (Rotterdam) and Stefan Marx (Berlin).
“We want to show that being an artist or being a designer does not mean that you have to stay in one box, you can work within different fields, and that this new movement has had a profound impact both on the design and art scenes today,” says Henrik Most, Creative Leader for IKEA Art Event. “IKEA ART EVENT 2021 seeks to celebrate the sense of wonder created by these fields coming together, and by taking art out of the gallery and into the home.”.
The collection consists of 10 home furnishing objects challenging the perspective on everyday objects whilst paying tribute to everyday creativity: wall decoration lighting pieces by Sabine Marcelis, a wall clock by Daniel Arsham, a table lamp and a torch by Gelchop, a vase and a throw by Stefan Marx and wall decorations by Humans since 1982.
“Each item in this collection has a practical function, and at the same time it is an art object. The traditional idea of art being high-end and design being part of mass culture simply is not relevant anymore. The two go fantastic together – that is where the magic happens.”
Henrik Most
Vase and Blanket by Stefan Marx
Inspired by everyday life, the Berlin-based artist makes typographical artworks, based on conversations he overhears among friends and strangers, as well as lyrics and sentences plucked from his favourite songs and books. The two products boast emotive phrases: the familiar wail of “I’m so so so sorrryyyy” on the vase, and “I wait here for your forever as long as it takes” on the throw, which the artist scribbled in his notebook, after seeing the message graffitied onto a wall in London. These are pieces where you can add your own personal touch – flowers can be arranged in the vase as an expression of love or as an apology; the throw can be folded up and unfolded, carried with you and around you.
Led Wall Lamp by Sabine Marcelis
For her contribution to IKEA ART EVENT 2021, Marcelis was inspired by Italian painter Lucio Fontana’s slashed canvases and wanted to translate this simple gesture – a cut through a surface – to a light fitting. The wall lamps, which come in two different sizes and can change five different colours, are a departure from her usual lighting designs, where she works with white light passing through different (often transparent) materials. In contrast, her IKEA lamps explore the wonderful effects created by a dynamic light emanating from a single, solid surface. Their function is to create an atmosphere at home – they can change the mood of any space.
Table Clock by Daniel Arsham
Since his earliest paintings and experience working in stage design Daniel Arsham has been interested in the subject of time. His table clock contribution reflects his ongoing preoccupation with questions of movement, materials and architecture. By participating in this year’s IKEA Art Event, he hopes his contribution will bring art into the homes of the many. He considers the table clock to be a striking example of function merging with the emotional resonance associated with seeing a great work of art.
Drone Wall Decoration by Humans since 1982
For their contribution to IKEA ART EVENT 2021, this dynamic duo took the drone, a modern technological object associated with surveillance, and put it into an aluminium display case resembling a butterfuly collection. By pinning the drones inside the cabinet, they make us think about how strange it is for a present-day technological item to be static as though it is a timeless artefact or specimen. The duo hope that their wall pieces will resonate with IKEA customers; they believe that they will fit into any kind of home.
Allen Key Lamp by Gelchop
Gelchop’s ideas often emerge from thinking about how to improve the quality of daily life – according to the collective, the inspiration for their pieces “comes from everyday ‘aha’ moments”. For this collection, Gelchop members Ryota Morikawa, Tetsuya Ozawa and Ryohei Takahashi have put their own spin on what is arguably the most iconic IKEA item of all: the Allen key, and have created a table lamp and torch (available in metallic blue and silver). The modest Allen key has new value as it’s no longer just a practical tool to assist in the making of furniture, but a fantastic art object too.
The collection will be available on May 24th, 2021 at IKEA 360, IKEA The Avenues and at www.IKEA.com.kw. For more information, please call 184 0408 or follow @IKEAKuwait on Instagram.
