NYC Makers

Fabric and concrete combine to create an undulating landscape, the backdrop for a groundbreaking exhibition on local craftsmanship.

Featuring the work of 100 highly inventive artisans, artists, and designers, this show presents a sweeping cross-section of the cultural production and exquisite workmanship emerging from across the five boroughs.

Commissioned to design (and fabricate) the backdrop for Making it in NYC—an exhibition for presenting a selection of widely differing objects—we sought an approach that could not only create relationships between individual works but also heighten the visual impact of the show.

Our design leveraged a continuous concrete fabric material to establish a fluid and resilient landscape for displaying and juxtaposing participants’ works. To achieve this fluidity, we filled fabric with dry concrete and then draped it over wooden armatures to create folds and ripples as the material hardened. These flowing concrete structures supported a series of immersive tableaux that present the diverse creative output of makers alongside one another.


Forming a series of plinths that wrap organically throughout the space, our concept both physically and conceptually supports the biennial’s focus on local making practices in design and manufacturing.

Client

Museum of Arts and Design

Location

New York, NY

Scope

600 sq ft

Completion

2014

Photography

John Muggenborg