echo chair

Project Status: done
Size:3000sqm
Year: 2025
location: hifa


Description:

In the process of design and exploration through digital tools, there is an inherent ease and playful quality that encourages spontaneous experimentation. This digital "playground" allows for unexpected combinations of forms and materials—some of which might not even be possible in the physical world. This drive is rooted in a ludic impulse, inspired by the concept of Homo Ludens ("man the player"), a term introduced by Dutch historian Johan Huizinga in his 1938 book of the same name. Huizinga emphasized the importance of play as a central element in culture and human development.

This ludic drive gives rise to a unique visual language—one of geometry, virtual materiality, and color—that has become a recognizable hallmark of the work. The lightness and playful nature of digital experimentation enable paradoxical and surprising combinations. For example, a luminous furniture piece constructed using parabolic fluorescent fixtures—common in public institutions such as schools, banks, and clinics—is paired with materials like transparent plexiglass, shaped in abstract and minimal geometries.

These fluorescent elements, deeply embedded in our collective memory, trigger emotional and associative responses. Their integration with unfamiliar, contemporary materials produces a striking contrast: the nostalgic and familiar versus the alien and unknown. Even before the object is used functionally—be it as a chair, a table, or any other form—one can experience the tension and dialogue between past and present, between light and color, between soft and hard materials. All of this unfolds within the spirit of Homo Ludens—the playful, experimental force that fuels creation.

This approach invites viewers to engage with the interplay between past and future, tradition and innovation, encouraging a deeper, more intuitive interaction. It not only challenges conventional perceptions of design and materiality but also opens up a space of creative possibility that bridges the virtual and the physical realms.


Art installation made for Haifa Art Museum

photography: simon barazin