ESSAY Exhibition
The Office is located on the 13th floor, it is reached by a lift. It has a surface of x square meters, which is to say it is y meters long and z meters wide. It is a rectangle, subdivided by walls, though most of it is an open space. There are x columns, organised in a row running along the centre of the room. Beyond the lift are two bathrooms, one for men and the other for women. It is located in an area that was once industrial, but now hosts office buildings, much like this one. But it is special, it has a neighbour. It faces a hill, being open as it is, the people on the hill can see what happens in The Office, during the day, they can see faint traces of people moving around the space. At night the office is lit up, opacity becomes transparency, The Office takes over.
Office Archipelago
The space The Office now occupies was born of a utilitarian vision, conceived as a conventional work space. But what does that imply? It implies flexibility—open, adaptable, a blank canvas for a range of possible outcomes. It’s a celebration of “Pure Program”, anything can happen inside of it, though nothing really does. It looks to erase identity; odourless, emotionless, colourless. Less is More. More is More. Less is a Bore. But now its been occupied by something else, since it’s a space that can shape-shift at will. It will; from a corporate boardroom to the backdrop of a fashion shoot. Models strutting around, dressed like they mean business. All that was required was a change in personnel.
In this city, where every square meter comes with a price tag, conformity often dictates function. But now the building has been put up for sale, the tenants leases have expired, the building is vacant, a temporary window has opened up and incongruity has inserted itself into the space. The stage is set.
“Less is More. More is More. Less is a Bore.”
The stage is set, the actors enter.
Act 1: (Thoughtful)
In this once silent space, you find an unexpected contrast. Furniture, diverse in form, materials, and hues, infiltrates this orderly office landscape. It's as though they’ve been waiting, biding their time, ready to challenge the uniformity of the space. Gleaming surfaces, fluid curves, and sharp angles—these elements don't just coexist; they impose their presence with undeniable intensity, infusing the environment with raw emotion. It’s a world of gentle touches, where these objects float, seemingly untouched by gravity, hovering just above the carpet, whose swirls are ready to absorb any noise that might bother the inhabitants of the space, but these objects disrupt the calm, they inject disquiet and uncertainty, and yet, their moment in the spotlight is fleeting, they’re only here for a short amount of time, their intensity is brief but it will leave its trace on the space, with the shapes of table legs and the weight of chairs.
Act 2: (Engaging)
As your gaze sweeps over this spectacle, you realise you’re not alone. The furniture is more than just pieces; it is an integral part of this ever-evolving stage. The pieces demand your attention, inviting you to become an active participant in the transformation of the workspace into something else. This isn't just furniture; it’s the heartbeat of a new paradigm. But you? You’re not the actor; you're the audience, observing the dialogue between space and objects. Beyond mere aesthetics, it asks you to reach out, explore, and engage in this sensory dance. This is no passive observation; it’s a revelation. Personal stories unfold, and the pent-up emotions you've brought along find their release.
Zoom out, focus
Workspaces have evolved, or at least they’re trying to. The once-familiar office with its regimented rows of desks, those little expressions of individuality—a desk plant, a postcard, perhaps some mundane Tupperware—it’s all in flux.
And here we are, bobbing in this sea of change. The office is trying to transform into something more. It’s not just about the physical space; it’s about the very idea of an office. Work and life are entwined, every moment and every corner holds the potential of work. Furniture, with its forms and functions, now takes centre stage. It’s more than just chairs and tables; it’s a way to define and determine the space, to give it meaning and function. It's the key to making sense of the new state of indeterminacy.
But with this there comes a question: what happens when the office loses its homogeneity? When the quiet tranquility of the old space, with its passive-aggressive undertones, gives way to a more expressive environment? Will employees find a renewed sense of boldness, free to break out of their shells? Or will they be overwhelmed by the cacophony of change? It's a challenge for us all—to navigate the emotional terrain of this new world.
Featuring Raw Senses
In temporary exhibition spaces and through thematic approaches, Raw Senses provides a platform to address questions of mass production, consumption and the conditions of contemporary making. Above all, Raw Senses intends to establish a sustainable space and platform for experience and collaboration.
“The Office” brings together contemporary designers and architects from Switzerland and beyond to celebrate and promote interdisciplinary and experimental creative work. From the ready-made and playful to the technical and minimalist, each work on display foregrounds objects and furniture pieces that transcend functionality and exemplify vision and exploratory processes. Alluding to the changing role of the office—from a space with standardised fit-outs to a more hybrid and social space for collaboration—this year’s exhibition exemplifies the search for alternatives and counter-strategies that respond to rapidly shifting realities.
Raw Senses “The Office” with:
AATB (CH/FR) / Alexandra Gerber (CH/UK) / Angeliki Papavasileiou (CH/GR) / Ben Ganz (CH/USA) / Daniel Durnin (UK) / Elissa Lacoste (FR) / Gregory Tsantilas (CH/GR) / Haus Otto (DE) / Hot Wire Extensions (CH) / Laurin Schaub (CH) / Meubles Meldem (CH) / Office for Ordinary Objects (CH/DE) / Panter & Tourron (CH) / Raphael Kadid (CH) / Reto Andri Objekte (CH) / Robert A. Wettstein (CH) / Salienti (CH/IT) / Sanchez Morgillo (CH) / Sébastien El Idrissi (CH) / Stéphanie Hornig (CH/AT) / Studio Marthins (CH/DK) / Studio Piccoli (CH) / Tino Seubert (DE/UK) / Tobias Bieri (CH)
Raw Senses is a collective initiated by Fabio Hendry (Hot Wire Extensions), Sebastian Vargas (Kairos Studio), Giovanna Lisignoli (Second Nature Projects), Sarah Quan (Villa Nomad).
Creative Direction
Essay
Films
Fashion photography
Exhibition views
Styling
HMU
Clothing
Models
Sebastian Vargas
Oliver Creton
Kairos Studio
Sara Bastai
Oliver Kummerli
Hong Anh Pham
Miriam Wolff
Prototypes
Joslyne Ramazani
Maciej Grajek
Paul Jaeggi
Golce
Basile Lusandu
Andrea Ricklin
Sarah Ricklin
Victoria Jordan
Hong Anh Pham
ESSAY Exhibition
The Office is located on the 13th floor, it is reached by a lift. It has a surface of x square meters, which is to say it is y meters long and z meters wide. It is a rectangle, subdivided by walls, though most of it is an open space. There are x columns, organised in a row running along the centre of the room. Beyond the lift are two bathrooms, one for men and the other for women. It is located in an area that was once industrial, but now hosts office buildings, much like this one. But it is special, it has a neighbour. It faces a hill, being open as it is, the people on the hill can see what happens in The Office, during the day, they can see faint traces of people moving around the space. At night the office is lit up, opacity becomes transparency, The Office takes over.
Office Archipelago
The space The Office now occupies was born of a utilitarian vision, conceived as a conventional work space. But what does that imply? It implies flexibility—open, adaptable, a blank canvas for a range of possible outcomes. It’s a celebration of “Pure Program”, anything can happen inside of it, though nothing really does. It looks to erase identity; odourless, emotionless, colourless. Less is More. More is More. Less is a Bore. But now its been occupied by something else, since it’s a space that can shape-shift at will. It will; from a corporate boardroom to the backdrop of a fashion shoot. Models strutting around, dressed like they mean business. All that was required was a change in personnel.
In this city, where every square meter comes with a price tag, conformity often dictates function. But now the building has been put up for sale, the tenants leases have expired, the building is vacant, a temporary window has opened up and incongruity has inserted itself into the space. The stage is set.
“Less is More. More is More. Less is a Bore.”
The stage is set, the actors enter.
Act 1: (Thoughtful)
In this once silent space, you find an unexpected contrast. Furniture, diverse in form, materials, and hues, infiltrates this orderly office landscape. It's as though they’ve been waiting, biding their time, ready to challenge the uniformity of the space. Gleaming surfaces, fluid curves, and sharp angles—these elements don't just coexist; they impose their presence with undeniable intensity, infusing the environment with raw emotion. It’s a world of gentle touches, where these objects float, seemingly untouched by gravity, hovering just above the carpet, whose swirls are ready to absorb any noise that might bother the inhabitants of the space, but these objects disrupt the calm, they inject disquiet and uncertainty, and yet, their moment in the spotlight is fleeting, they’re only here for a short amount of time, their intensity is brief but it will leave its trace on the space, with the shapes of table legs and the weight of chairs.
Act 2: (Engaging)
As your gaze sweeps over this spectacle, you realise you’re not alone. The furniture is more than just pieces; it is an integral part of this ever-evolving stage. The pieces demand your attention, inviting you to become an active participant in the transformation of the workspace into something else. This isn't just furniture; it’s the heartbeat of a new paradigm. But you? You’re not the actor; you're the audience, observing the dialogue between space and objects. Beyond mere aesthetics, it asks you to reach out, explore, and engage in this sensory dance. This is no passive observation; it’s a revelation. Personal stories unfold, and the pent-up emotions you've brought along find their release.
Zoom out, focus
Workspaces have evolved, or at least they’re trying to. The once-familiar office with its regimented rows of desks, those little expressions of individuality—a desk plant, a postcard, perhaps some mundane Tupperware—it’s all in flux.
And here we are, bobbing in this sea of change. The office is trying to transform into something more. It’s not just about the physical space; it’s about the very idea of an office. Work and life are entwined, every moment and every corner holds the potential of work. Furniture, with its forms and functions, now takes centre stage. It’s more than just chairs and tables; it’s a way to define and determine the space, to give it meaning and function. It's the key to making sense of the new state of indeterminacy.
But with this there comes a question: what happens when the office loses its homogeneity? When the quiet tranquility of the old space, with its passive-aggressive undertones, gives way to a more expressive environment? Will employees find a renewed sense of boldness, free to break out of their shells? Or will they be overwhelmed by the cacophony of change? It's a challenge for us all—to navigate the emotional terrain of this new world.
Featuring Raw Senses
In temporary exhibition spaces and through thematic approaches, Raw Senses provides a platform to address questions of mass production, consumption and the conditions of contemporary making. Above all, Raw Senses intends to establish a sustainable space and platform for experience and collaboration.
“The Office” brings together contemporary designers and architects from Switzerland and beyond to celebrate and promote interdisciplinary and experimental creative work. From the ready-made and playful to the technical and minimalist, each work on display foregrounds objects and furniture pieces that transcend functionality and exemplify vision and exploratory processes. Alluding to the changing role of the office—from a space with standardised fit-outs to a more hybrid and social space for collaboration—this year’s exhibition exemplifies the search for alternatives and counter-strategies that respond to rapidly shifting realities.
Raw Senses “The Office” with:
AATB (CH/FR) / Alexandra Gerber (CH/UK) / Angeliki Papavasileiou (CH/GR) / Ben Ganz (CH/USA) / Daniel Durnin (UK) / Elissa Lacoste (FR) / Gregory Tsantilas (CH/GR) / Haus Otto (DE) / Hot Wire Extensions (CH) / Laurin Schaub (CH) / Meubles Meldem (CH) / Office for Ordinary Objects (CH/DE) / Panter & Tourron (CH) / Raphael Kadid (CH) / Reto Andri Objekte (CH) / Robert A. Wettstein (CH) / Salienti (CH/IT) / Sanchez Morgillo (CH) / Sébastien El Idrissi (CH) / Stéphanie Hornig (CH/AT) / Studio Marthins (CH/DK) / Studio Piccoli (CH) / Tino Seubert (DE/UK) / Tobias Bieri (CH)
Raw Senses is a collective initiated by Fabio Hendry (Hot Wire Extensions), Sebastian Vargas (Kairos Studio), Giovanna Lisignoli (Second Nature Projects), Sarah Quan (Villa Nomad).
Creative Direction
Essay
Films
Fashion photography
Exhibition views
Styling
HMU
Clothing
Models
Sebastian Vargas
Oliver Creton
Kairos Studio
Sara Bastai
Oliver Kummerli
Hong Anh Pham
Miriam Wolff
Prototypes
Joslyne Ramazani
Maciej Grajek
Paul Jaeggi
Golce
Basile Lusandu
Andrea Ricklin
Sarah Ricklin
Victoria Jordan
Hong Anh Pham
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