Kohler returned to Milan Design Week with a Fuorisalone Award winning immersive art experience in partnership with artist-designer, Daniel Arsham
Kohler’s award winning Fuorisalone exhibition featured a large-scale immersive art experience, entitled “Divided Layers”, a site-specific installation that built upon the duo’s release of Rock.01 –a 3D printed sink Daniel Arsham designed in collaboration with Kohler in 2021 .
The immersive installation was made from a series of stacked panels combined to form a walkable tunnel. When developing Rock.01, Arsham was inspired to create the Fuorisalone Award winning Divided Layers to give guests the ability to move through the sink.
Each panel referenced a single plane of the 3D printed clay that layered together to form the sink. 3D printing is a process of additive construction; in contrast, the tunnel revealed the subtractive in taking away portions to give way to the volume the visitor could walk through.
Within the installation, a pond acted as a mirrored surface to double and reflect the opening of the cavernous volume. Arsham intended for visitors to contemplate the acceptance of space and its malleability, understanding the relationship between volumes. The cadence of the walls mimicked the rhythm of the columns within the Palazzo, contributing to an entire atmosphere that represented movement or flow.
‘The flow of water is experienced in both negative and positive space, regardless of a form’s function’, says Daniel Arsham. ‘In Divided Layers, visitors experience being within the sink, rather than a user of a functional piece.’
Kohler and Arsham leveraged this moment of design and art celebration to announce a multi-year partnership, continuing the exploration of art through form and function. Kohler is honoured to continue the brand’s legacy of championing art.
Additionally, in honour of Milan Design Week, Kohler has made a donation to Water Mission’s WASH projects in Indonesia, helping to bring safe water and sanitation to up to 10,000 people through 15 projects in 2022.
Through impactful products and inspiring partnerships, Kohler’s Believing in Better platform strives to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations through design, craftsmanship, and innovation.
For further information, visit studiokohler.com
Photography courtesy of Kohler
