Tinna
Gunnarsdottir and Karen Chekerdjian have
been friends and design comrades since their school days together
at the Domus Academy in Milan. Each an independent industrial designer
in her own right, the two women have developed a unique pattern
of creative collaboration.
Their
first project together, in 2001, began with a discussion about the
power of images to create meaning and alter our perceptions of reality,
and resulted in their whimsical furniture series, ‘Stool in
the Box.’ Deeper discussion of product concepts and shared
exploration of material and form led to their project for 2002,
‘Rolling Stones,’ a collection of spherical'drawers'
with multiple functions and no solid location in space.
The
projects are compelling, but what's unique about their design collaborations
is that Tinna lives in Reykjavik and Karen in Beirut: all of their
projects are realized exclusively via Internet communication. Using
email and the web to exchange ideas and sketches and share research
information, the designers finally prototype different versions
of each project in their home countries, drawing upon local material
resources and craftspeople.
As we shift away from today's unsustainable modes of production and consumption, examples like this one will become increasingly important to study and emulate: how global friendships and shared creativity can lead us to a better future.
Tinna Gunnarsdottir >
Karen Chekerdjian > |