Designday 2010

Urbis Designday returned for its 5th year, only to go ‘Off the Grid’. A new collection of collaborators were able to interpret this theme as inspiration dictated – bringing a fresh perspective to New Zealand design’s big day. The 2010 event paired creative minds from architecture, multimedia, furniture, landscape and fashion design with a baker’s dozen of Auckland showrooms.

Sub.stra.tum

This year Cite was joined by Mike Hodgson of The Dub Module and Chris Macmillian of Mulk, dynamic artistic collectives that create multimedia installations for live events. For March 20th, this included bringing the Cite showroom space to life with moving image and sound.

The installation titled "Sub.stra.tum" utilised video projection to reveal the daily processes and hidden details of the creative workspace. “It’s about taking a plain white space and bringing life to its underbelly” said Mike of his vision for the showroom.

John Reynolds, Misery, WORLD charity collaboration with Cite

The three New Zealand artists have each transformed an iconic chair, supplied by Auckland design showroom Cite. The chair in question is the Panton Classic, which celebrates its 50th birthday in 2010. Designed by Verner Panton, in collaboration with Vitra, he came up with the first prototypes in the 1960s and the Chair went into series production in 1967. Unlike the Panton Chair Standard in solid plastic, Panton Chair Classic is made of rigid expanded plastic and has a lacquered surface. Vitra continues to manufacture licensed original reproductions of this design.

The chairs were on display at Cite showroom from Designday 20th of March until the 24th of March with a graphic backdrop created in association with 3M, after which the three chairs were put under the hammer as part of Webb’s Important Works of Art sale on the 30th of March. Prospective buyers had a chance to view the works in Webb’s catalogues which were distributed on the 18th of March.

All proceeds from the sale of the chairs were donated to Unitec, Department of Design and Visual Arts. The artists, Cite and Webb’s auctioneers did not take any money for their respective contributions. To encourage the creativity that has earned these artists their reputations, Cite gave them ‘carte blanche’ to adorn their individual chairs. Or should we say, “Chaise Blanche”?