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Lodz Design Festival: The Taste of an Object

Taste of an Object

The Taste of an Object exhibition, during the Lodz Design Festival, at the Muzeum Miasta in Łodz, Poland was curated by Paulina and Jacek Ryn (RAZY2 Design Group) to promote designers and creative firms from Pomerania, a region of north-central Europe encompassing northwest Poland and northeast Germany. Each object was paired with a specially created dish, which sought to tell its story in a non-verbal way.

Taste of an Object

PLC, by one of the curators Jacek Ryn for Terma, is a ‘woven’ radiator, made using precise computer-controlled bending of steel profiles, which are hand finished, and is available in over 160 colors.

Taste of an Object

This piece was paired with glistening bread sticks to reflect the forms of the radiator, flavored with ginger, which produced a warming effect, thanks to essential oils such as gingerol, shogaol, and zingerone.

Taste of an Object

Iglo by Malgorzata Knoblock and Igor Wiktorowicz is designed to protect plants’ roots from frost during the winter like a zip-up jacket, without compromising the aesthetic of the garden.

Taste of an Object

The Styrofoam granules inside the Iglo inspired cinnamon marshmallows as the food pairing – the cinnamon for the warmth and the marshmallow for the texture.

Taste of an Object

Kierec by Jaroslaw Szymanski and Karolina Kulesza was inspired by the traditional decorations of the same name hung from the ceiling of Kurpian huts, and made of straws, peas, and tissue paper flowers. This version is made from powder-coated aluminum tubes with wire hooks, attached to each other with a rubber band, and is intended as a teaching aid for children learning about flat, three-dimensional, symmetrical, and asymmetrical structures.

Taste of an Object

This concept was expressed using Polish apple, an integral part of every child’s diet to ensure a balanced development.

Taste of an Object

Pillou by Marta Szaban and Tomasz Krzempek is another heater (it clearly gets a lot colder in Poland than it was when I was there!), this time originally designed for a competition run by Terma. “The designed object does not pretend it is invisible but on the contrary, its form emphasizes the function,” said the designers.

Taste of an Object

This time, the food pairing was a lollipop that starts off cold, but slowly releases the flavor of sweet lemon tea, a warm drink the curator told us is often given to people who are feeling the under the weather.

Taste of an Object

Welna & Powietrze (Wool and Air) by Agata Kulik-Pomorska and Pawel Pomorska is an inflatable armchair designed for the modern nomad to reduce shipping costs.

Taste of an Object

Its ‘taste metaphor’ is an air-filled chocolate cake – both helping you relax after a long day.

Taste_of_an_Object_11b

The Lampart L is an LED street light designed by Line Design Studio.

Taste of an Object

This was teamed with fragile coffee-flavored brandy snaps, which look almost luminescent when the light shines through them.

Taste of an Object

The Diago (diagonal) chair by Malgorzata Malinowska, Filip Ludka, and Tomasz Kempa, aka Tabanda, is inspired by Japanese origami and made of wood and aluminum – two very different materials, combined in an unusual way.

Taste of an Object

Its taste metaphor is lavender meringue, its hard surface representing the aluminum and its spongy interior representing the wood, and the comfort of the seat. Lavender is known for its relaxing properties.

Taste of an Object

Bawa by Klaudia Kuhn has two functions – it’s both a table and a toy – made by Polish carpenters. The project teaches children to recognize shapes and colors, and crucially, can all be tidied away when they’ve finished!

Taste of an Object

Fried parsley root represents the fibers of the wood and also evokes childhood as in Poland, it’s often given to new mothers to help with breastfeeding.

Taste of an Object

Chocolate Fixation by Kataryzna Pietowska is a series of ceramic shapes designed to be coated in melted chocolate, providing a low-calorie way to enjoy one of our favorite treats.

Taste of an Object

The food pairing, surprisingly enough, was chocolate – its shiny surface chosen to mimic the ceramic and its taste to release the same serotonins that using the product would.

Taste of an Object

Perhaps the most striking object within the exhibition was the Tear Drop by Aleksander Beilawski, Robert Kowalczyk, and Domimik Sedzicki. It’s a highly polished aluminum urn, accessed through a nut in its base, designed to be a sculptural reminder of the loved one who has passed on.

Taste of an Object

Its taste metaphor was red wine (in jelly form), often used in religious ceremonies. It is also said to keep the memory in good health when consumed in moderation.

Katie Treggiden is a purpose-driven journalist, author and, podcaster championing a circular approach to design – because Planet Earth needs better stories. She is also the founder and director of Making Design Circular, a program and membership community for designer-makers who want to join the circular economy. With 20 years' experience in the creative industries, she regularly contributes to publications such as The Guardian, Crafts Magazine and Monocle24 – as well as being Editor at Large for Design Milk. She is currently exploring the question ‘can craft save the world?’ through an emerging body of work that includes her fifth book, Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure (Ludion, 2020), and a podcast, Circular with Katie Treggiden.