SWAROVSKI DESIGNER’S OF THE FUTURE AWARD AND DESIGN MIAMI / BASEL

By Crash redaction

Design Miami / Basel’s programme welcomes the Swarovski and Design Miami Designers of the Future Award Commissions. Announced as winners of the price, each of them presented their personal response to this challenge, with amazing sense of creativity and imagination. The magical and innovative universe of Swarovski deeply inspired them, after visiting Swarovski’s headquarters in Austria. At this occasion, they had a full access to the crystal company’s archive and workshop: the perfect place to be affected by the traditional DNA’s of the House. The main goal was to reveal the beauty of diamonds by exploring its scientific properties. Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, declared that the work they produced were an « avant-garde approach to the use of crystal in design ». Tomás Alonso created the masterpiece « 47° », a collection of crystal objects (as well as lights and mirrors and desk accessories). The artist was attracted to the 47-degree cut: the only angle at which light either reflects or refracts, and used it to build his piece. On the other hand, Elaine Yan Ling Ng created a piece named « Sundew », as a reference to carnivorous Sundew plants, made of tentacles. She created a modern lantern-like shape of this particular plant, with textiles fused with Swarovski new materials, in order to explore new functions. Finally, Studio Swine offered a very intimate vision of Swarovski’s universe with « Terraforming ». The Studio was founded by Japanese architect Azusa Murakami and British artist Alexander Gloves. They chose to create a fictional world of space exploration with their interpretation of a « crystal planet »: an exclusive digital hour glass.

Over the past decade, Swarovski has contributed to the Design Miami /Basel program with talented young designers and architects. And this year selection is no exception. The Swarovski Designers of the Future Commissions will be exhibited alongside Design Miami’s gallery programme for the duration of the fair: June 16-21 in Basel, Switzerland.

Take a look at Swarovski’s universe on their website: www.swarovski.com