May 14th, 2011 
Ever since the episode of Sex And The City where Carrie bumps into Big and Natasha at Aiden’s designer showcase (you know, the time when her steaming hot coffee takes a Freudian spill onto Big’s lap) the idea of attending a furniture show became somewhat more interesting to me. Especially if the exhibit is filled with coffee mugs that tell your fortune, a Cocane that is actually a walking stick meant to be shared, and, yeah… dinnerware that maps out your digestive system.
Photo courtesy Model Citizens.
From May 13 – 15, the Chelsea Art Museum is featuring Model Citizens NYC 2011, an exhibit and pop-up shop showcasing more than 90 international furniture and accessory designers. From the exhibit’s miniature sofas to wearable planters, the range of imagination would likely inspire awe from visitors with the most creative tastes.
Melissa Borrell, an Austin, Texas-based jewelry designer and sculptor, showed window shades and steel wall pieces mimicking the image of shadows on a wall. She also created layerable pop-out jewelry, proposing an element of playful interaction to its owner. Boston designer Debra Folz showed contemporary photo albums that when pulled out reveal a collection of 4×6 photos, but when closed serve as an über-cool decoration for a bookshelf. These and several other designers offered their pieces for sale in the exhibit’s pop-up store downstairs.
Some of my favorite pieces were less home-oriented, but not lacking in innovation: Sophie Duran, a Holland-based designer and curator, explained how she handcrafted an eight-pound scarf made of sweet water and glass pearls. It took her three months, working eight hours each day to complete. Duran was inspired by the large pearls used in Dutch, Chinese, and Roman culture and she wanted to create something that was rich in femininity and beauty. But it was Daniel Moyer’s I Would Do Backsprings For You chair that had me at hello; a modern-day work chair made of smooth wood, a sturdy back, and whose name speaks for itself. Other designers had great background stories, like Plywood Office founder, Chris Jamison, whose tea-light totems were originally a Christmas gift for his mom.
Photo courtesy Model Citizens.
Many of the exhibitors used sustainable materials in their designs, and some aligned their products with a social cause. Build It Green NYC presented a bookshelf made by the women of its ReNEW (Nontraditional Employment for Women) program, and built using wood rescued from New York City water towers. Pieces shown by Sahar Ghaheri of Designing Hope benefited the Happy Hearts Fund and Hellosmile.
Designer Mika Braakman founded Model Citizens NYC to help independent designers market their products, while remaining true to their individual design philosophy. The showcase, now in its third year, is open to both trade professionals and the public. More information about Model Citizens NYC is available on their website.
WHEN:
Saturday, May 14 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (cocktails served 4-8 p.m.)
Sunday, May 15 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
WHERE:
Model Citizens NYC
556 W 22nd St
New York, NY 10011
