Friedman Benda is pleased to present Formation, Italian studio Formafantasma’s first gallery exhibition in the United States, opening on June 5th. Known for delving into the ecological, historical, political, and social forces shaping contemporary design, the studio now presents a new body of work that addresses the relationship between furniture, the domestic sphere, and the concept of the archetype in design.
With a focus on the roles objects play within the home, Formation examines the elementary units that form an archetype. Made of Cherry wood, each piece begins with the most fundamental unit of cabinetmaking—the plank. The tension between transforming this material into something that feels both familiar and contemporary lies at the heart of the exhibition. The lighting elements feature rectangular LED panels, with proportions that evoke the familiar screens of mobile devices and laptops. As the studio states, “this pursuit is subtly informed by a reverence for the Shaker community, Frank Lloyd Wright, and George Nakashima—makers and designers who shaped their own aesthetic and philosophical foundations. The Shakers’ approach to utility and transcendence is mirrored in the collection’s essential forms and its use of Cherry wood, a material deeply embedded in American cabinetmaking. Wright’s synthesis of craft and technology, and Nakashima’s reverence for timber as a living entity, find echoes in the collection’s interplay of warm wood and brushed aluminum—a material more often associated with contemporary digital devices.”
Textile elements also play a significant role in the collection. Each of these details subtly references domestic traditions often overlooked in design history, evoking the quiet craftsmanship historically associated with women’s labor. The inclusion of textiles in Formation, both poetic and practical, serves as a reminder that the domestic sphere is not merely a functional setting but one rich in memory, care, and the quiet interventions that shape our sense of home.
With what the studio calls a ‘restrained aesthetic,’ the exhibition creates a domestic space defined not by spectacle, but by reflection. Showing a mastery of the discipline through familiar typologies and attention to detail, Formafantasma weaves together design sensibilities and materials to assert a language that is distinctly its own. Formation explores how domestic artifacts evolve over time, shaped by changing technologies and cultural shifts, and invites us to rethink our relationship with objects. This collection offers a space where past and present converge—”not to mimic nor reject history, but instead to expand upon it,” say Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin.
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About Formafantasma
Formafantasma is a research-based design studio investigating the ecological, historical, political and social forces shaping the discipline of design today. The studio was founded in 2009 by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin. The aim of the studio is to facilitate a deeper understanding of both our natural and built environments and to propose transformative interventions through design and its material, technical, social, and discursive possibilities. Working from their studio in Milan (Italy) and Rotterdam (The Netherlands), the practice embraces a broad spectrum of typologies and methods, from product design through spatial design, strategic planning and design consultancy. Whether designing to a client’s brief or developing self – initiated projects, the studio applies the same rigorous attention to context, process and detail. As a result, Formafantasma’s entire portfolio is characterised by a coherent visual language and meticulously researched outcomes. Trimarchi and Farresin also are the head of the GEO–Design department at Design Academy in Eindhoven, there they explore the social, economic, territorial and geopolitical forces shaping design today.
The studio’s prescient insight into the challenges facing design, culture, the environment and society has earned them the patronage of an array of international clients such as Lexus, Flos, Prada, Max Mara, Hermes, Droog, J&L Lobmeyr, Cassina, Bitossi, Established and Sons, La Biennale di Venezia, Rijks Museum, Rubelli, Dzek, Ginori, Hem, Maison Matisse, Bulgari, Samsung, Rado, Roll and Hill, Galleria Giustini / Stagetti, La Rinascente, Gallery Libby Sellers, Fendi, Fondation Cartier, Nasjonalmuseet Oslo, Galleria Massimo Minini, Loro Piana, Jil Sander, Tiffany, Vitra Design Museum, Tacchini, Salone del Mobile, Cc-tapis, and Artek among others.
Alongside works for clients, their projects have been presented, published and acquired in the permanent collection of international museums including New York’s MoMA and Metropolitan Museum, Art Institute Chicago, London’s Victoria and Albert, Paris’ Musée National d’Art Moderne, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, CNAP, Fondation Cartier and Centre Pompidou, the Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, the Vienna’s MAK Museum, Minneapolis’ Walker Art, Utrecht’s Centraal Museum, Mudac Lausanne, North Carolina’s Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Rome’s Museo Maxxi, Vitra Design Museum, Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, Triennale di Milano, LACMA, Tilburg’s Textiel Museum and others.
Formafantasma is also an award-winning studio: 2021 Wallpaper* Awards Designers of the Year/Winner, 2020 Dezeen Designer of the Year/Winner, 2019 Milano Design Award/Winner, 2019 Beazley Designs of the Year/Nomination, 2018 Beazley Designs of the Year/Nomination, 2018 Hublot Award/Winner, 2018 Dezeen Awards Year/Nomination, 2018 Elle Decoration International Design Awards Designer of the Year/Winner, 2017 Limburg Design Award/Winner, 2017 Milano Design Award/Winner Press Choice and Best Technology, 2016 Elle Decoration International Design Awards Designer of the Year/Nomination, 2015 Wallpaper* Awards Top 20 under 40 Year/Winner, 2014 Wallpaper* Awards Designer of the Year/Nomination, 2014 Elle Decoration Japan Designer of the Year/Winner, 2014 TL Magazine Designer of the Year/Winner, 2013 Elle Decoration International Award/Nomination, 2012 ICON design Awards Emerging Designers of the Year/Winner, 2012 Dutch design Awards Talent Design Award/Nomination, 2012 Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards/Winner, 2012 Brit Insurance Design of the Year/Nomination, 2011 INDEX Award/Nomination.
