For the latest instalment of Fendi’s craft-based Design Performance program, Trimarchi and Farresin created a range of interior furnishings and accessories that combine discarded Fendi materials and scraps of fish skins with raw materials such as marble, wood and even bones and shells from the deep blue. The duo collected unused skins of mainly salmon, trout and pigs from the food industry, leather processed with natural dyes from tree bark, cork leather from cork trees and a number of animal bladders.
With these materials, they designed stools propped up by fin-shaped legs and upholstered in fish leather; a table with a brass frame topped with a vegetal tanned rawhide and kept secure with cylindrical marble weights; serving spoons made with scallop shells; and delicate storage jars made from cow bladders.
Working with glassblower Massimo Lunardon and Doris Wicki, who dedicates her time to producing charcoal by burning wood over a period of five to seven days, Formafantasma designed a collection in homage to this process. It also harkens back to a time when Switzerland was producing a lot of charcoal for fuel, something that has been banned due to environmental concerns, including deforestation and CO2 emissions.
This iteration, however, employs charcoal as a water-filtration device, and couples beautifully crafted charcoal devices with blown-glass vessels. In a forested area on the outskirts of Zurich, Wicki burned custom wooden pieces that were moulded into a paddle, ladel, funnel and lid, while Lunardon created the glass containers to store the items.
Design Miami/Basel runs until June 17.