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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Swarovski and RISD to Present Experimental Furniture and Home Accessory Designs at ICFF
May 19-22, 2007 at the Javits Convention Center, New York City
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contact: Jaime Marland, 401 427-6954 jmarland@risd.edu
Providence, RI — Visitors in search of inspired new design and the latest trends are in for an unexpected treat at the 2007 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF): the Furniture Design Department at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has partnered with CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements — a division of Swarovski, the world’s leading manufacturer of cut crystal — to present a remarkably imaginative group of decorative and functional objects for the home.
Crystal Connection, on view in the Rhode Island School of Design/Swarovski booth (#1878), will feature 20 prototypes developed by the next generation of furniture designers, all incorporating crystal in adventurous new ways. The first collaboration between the Austria-based manufacturer and the world-renowned college of art and design challenged Furniture Design students to move beyond the traditional and the expected as they investigated original uses for crystal in functional pieces — tables, seating, lighting — and decorative home accents.
In winter and spring studio courses led by Assistant Professor Lothar Windels, the young designers progressed quickly from conceptual sketches to models and prototypes. Aesthetic concerns were balanced by technical factors, with site visits to Swarovski North America headquarters in Cranston, RI to acquaint students with the practical considerations of working with crystal.
In addition to technical assistance, Swarovski provided all the crystals used in the construction of the final prototypes to be featured at ICFF, which were refined and completed in the spring semester following a group critique session with representatives from Swarovski’s product development team.
“This partnership gave students an opportunity to work with materials they hadn’t been exposed to before,” noted Professor John Dunnigan, head of RISD’s Furniture Design Department. “We are very grateful to Swarovski for providing this valuable real-world experience, which led to some innovative student work. This partnership is a great example of the value of Partnered Research in our curriculum.”
In process as well as product, the partnership between Swarovski and RISD has proven to be mutually enriching, building on shared expertise and encouraging growth in new directions. As Swarovski continues its century-long tradition of trend-related innovation and technological advancement, collaboration with RISD’s Furniture Design Department illuminates the unlimited potential for crystal in cutting-edge design for the home. RISD’s Furniture Design students, likewise, benefit immeasurably from the experience of developing pieces from concept to completed object according to the highest industry standards.
“We are very happy to be working with RISD on this joint effort,” stated Reinhard Mackinger, Swarovski’s executive vice president of operations for North America and Mexico. “Such collaborations allow us to tap into the design talent of the future. We have learned that when given inspiring materials and full artistic freedom, there is no limit to the creative solutions that students can come up with.”
Sponsored by Metropolis magazine, the 19th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City from May 19-22, 2007 (open to the trade May 19-21; the public is welcome on the 22nd). More than 600 exhibitors from 34 countries will fill the 145,000 square feet of exhibition space with the latest in design and manufacturing of contemporary furniture, seating, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, wall coverings, accessories, textiles, kitchen and bath for the residential, home/office and contract markets. More than 23,000 attendees are expected.
About Swarovski
For more than a hundred years Swarovski, the Austrian family company based in Wattens in the Tyrol, has been the world’s leading brand for cut crystal. Crystal jewelry stones and crystalline semi-finished goods for the fashion, jewelry and lighting industries are as much a part of the company’s product range as gift articles, home accessories and collectibles fashioned from faceted crystal. Swarovski’s artistic and design abilities are evident in Daniel Swarovski Paris and Swarovski Jewellery, the company’s accessory and jewelry ranges. Since 1995 visitors have been able to enjoy the ultimate crystal experience at the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. The Swarovski group also includes Tyrolit™, which produces grinding tools and abrasives, and Swarovski Optik, the company’s optics division, with its precision optics for hunting and nature observation. In 2005 Swarovski achieved group sales of Euro 2.14 billion, with a total of approximately 17,000 employees.
About RISD’s Furniture Design Department
Integrating design, craft, fine arts and theory, the Department of Furniture Design is the most comprehensive undergraduate and graduate furniture design program in the United States. The department was formed in 1995 to elevate scholarship, research and practice within the furniture design field. The curriculum is structured and sequential, expanding from a materials, skills and theory foundation into areas of research and experimentation that address cultural, environmental and behavioral changes in society.
About RISD
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned a worldwide reputation as the preeminent art and design college in the country. Today, with more than 17,000 alumni, the college enrolls roughly 1,900 undergraduates and 375 graduate students from the United States and almost 50 countries, offering degree programs in the fine arts, architecture and design disciplines, and art education. Academic programs include research and design initiatives, the exploration of art criticism and contemporary cultural concerns, as well as international exchange programs. Each year, RISD hosts prominent and accomplished artists, critics and authors on campus. Among the college’s key resources is The RISD Museum of Art, which houses a world-class collection of international works spanning Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as art of all periods from Asia, Europe and the Americas, to the latest in contemporary art. For more information, go to www.risd.edu.
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