During DESIGN MIAMI 2019 cc-tapis participated in the exhibition “In Circulation” by Rooms Studio.
cc-tapis began their collaboration with Rooms Studio in 2018 during Milan Design Week for their retrospective exhibition “Sculpting in Time“. An exhibition which combined new and old works by the design-duo including a collection of tapestries “Night of a Hunter” produced by cc-tapis. A collection of 3 unique artworks inspired by traditional Georgian tapestries with the piece “Lions at Night”, which became a focal point in their Design Miami exhibition “In Circulation”.
More about “In Circulation”
The Soviet regime collapsed when Rooms Studio artists Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia were in the 4th grade and the idea of freedom was born. A notion of privacy and personal belonging – a basic concept for most – was difficult to comprehend for a society that was raised in a Socialist country. At school, one could find knife-carved desks and chairs. The same story was continued on benches in public spaces with names and personal messages rigidly scratched into them.
This image was deeply embedded in the memories of both Nata and Keti and informed the inspiration behing In Circulation, which explores both the visual appeal of these historic objects as well as the reason behind such vandalism. Perhaps the desire to perform an act of destruction was a hidden protest against the system where nothing belonged to an individual. Or maybe it was motivated by the desire to privatize everything that was public by leaving a personal mark.
With In Circulation, Rooms Studio gives a second life to iconic public benches from the Soviet Era while recreating this personal act. There are two Bus Stop Benches featured in this curated collection, once comprised of wood, that visitors can interact with on-site by carving their names and messages. The other is made of stone, created in collaboration with Georgian hip-hop visual artist Max Machaidze, who painted the benches with graffitti.
Rooms Studio gives a second lide to the iconic and forgotten public objects of native Georgian ethnic design of different eras. This became the inspiration for the Iron Floor Lamp, Iron Chandelier, Stone Carved Supra Coffee Table and the Lions at Night tapestry.
