These headless piggies are on show at spring in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) in Brooklyn. They are Richard Saja’s ProtoBolsters, sewn from leftover fabric swatches and stuffed with plant-based fibres.
They are part of spring’s exhibit, ‘The Revolution Is Set: bring it to the table’, whose centrepiece is a trestle-table spanning the length of the gallery, with thought-provoking designs at each place setting.
Owners Anna Cosentino and Steve Butcher see their gallery as a place to create and display new ideas that will make people think about what they use, and how they use it. Many of the pieces find new uses for old materials, like Inna Alesina’s stools, made out of egg crates.
And Gesine Hackenberg’s spoons cut from broken antique Japanese imari plates.
Patrick Weder’s sleek credenza of walnut and surrell has a built-in spot for a plant.
And those striking glass vessels are designed by Tord Boontje and Emma Woffenden and made by Guatemalan cratfsmen. They are a collaboration between Artecnica and Aid to Artisans.
Steve and Anna often work with designers to develop products that ultimately land up in their store. The exhibits give them the latitude to find never-ending threads between wildly different objects. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop by and ask them to tell you about the pieces – Steve makes a really good tour guide.