Qeeboo 米兰设计周展品 | 玩味十足的家居艺术品

Introducing new products to its Extraordinary Objects collection, Qeeboo takes familiar forms and transforms them into functional household objects with a quirky flair that opens the brand up to new, more diverse audiences.

Nothing was quite what it seemed when Italian design brand Qeeboo launched its new collection at Milan Design Week in September. Known for embracing the 'quirky' and the curious, nothing was off limits for the team of international designers behind the latest additions to the Extraordinary Objects collection displayed in four locations across the city.

Qeeboo's approach reimagines familiar objects in surprising ways, creating pop icons that tickle the imagination. A giraffe, for example, can become a lamp, or a rabbit a chair. This playfulness runs through the veins of each designed product to bring an unexpected flair to household objects.

The Primitive armchair and bookshelf designed by Studio Nucleo, and the Glitch carpet by Richard Hutte.

Sherwood lamp, designed by Marcantonio.

The brand has a talent for identifying designers that 'share a similar language', says founder Stefano Giovannoni. 'We are interested in those who work with a figurative narrative and are able to place the object in a broader cultural context, rather than following traditional processes.' Working with names such as Marcel Wanders, Marcantonio and Studio Nucleo, a range of new designs were introduced in Milan, conveying Qeeboo's energetic philosophy, showcased alongside iconic products that have been redeveloped for a more diverse audience.

Building on the success of her romantically expressive Ribbon Chair, for example, designer Nika Zupanc introduced Ribbon Chair Baby, a children's sized version of the original furniture product. Similarly, Mabelle has been redesigned in a larger size for Qeeboo by Marcel Wanders studio. The bell-shaped pendant symbolizes celebration, bringing together the suspended dome with a playful bow to create a stronger visual symbol. Marcantonio has designed a full 'turtle family' in an XS version – comprising a jewellery tree, planter and pocket emptier – to join Turtle Carry Lamp. Formed from pristine white, opaque resin, the series reinvents the iconic design while remaining true to its roots.

Turtle Carry XS series, designed by Marcantonio.

Ribbon Chair and Ribbon Baby series, designed by Nika Zupanc.

Also designed by Marcantonio is lighting product Sherwood. Standing proudly at 2 m tall, the elegant stag celebrates the interaction of electricity and nature with antlers decorated by crystals and pendants to form an elaborate chandelier. Marcantonio confesses to imagining the animal 'moving proudly in a forest creating magical glows in the night, as if it were a guide to follow', thereby connecting reality with the surreal, not only bringing the outdoors to indoor spaces but envisioning a simulation between the two where there are no barriers.

A family of golden 'lamp characters', designed by Stefano Giovannoni, brings together miniature men in different positions, each with a lampshade in the place of its head pointing downwards to illuminate each of the individual postures. Golden Brothers comprises fluid silhouettes in a mirrored finish, giving the character forms an almost childlike quality, each with its own personality. This piece, in particular, is truly representative of a Qeeboo spirit which brings objects to life as characters in dynamic configurations.

Collection of Carpets, designed collaboratively by Andrea Branzi, Stefano Giovannoni, Richard Hutten, Alessandro Mendini and Nynke Tynagel, are designed to 'blend into space', enhancing the surrounding environment without overpowering it. Ranging from a 2 x 3-m rectangle to a 2-m-diameter circle, the carpets are decorated with colourful geometric patterns and expressive motifs such as footprints or flowers. Continuing the geometric theme are Primitive Bookshelf and Armchair, designed by Studio Nucleo's Piergiorgio Robino and Stefania Fersini. The furniture items present a strong, pixelated aesthetic that appears to counteract Qeeboo's often smooth, elegant forms. Playing with shape and colour, however, is very representative of the brand's flair and inventive persona.

Mabelle, designed by Marcel Wanders Studio.

Giovannoni explains that the narrative for new products fits into different creative 'worlds': some objects, like the Sherwood lamp, are a combination of hyper-realism and expressive sculpture; others, like Golden Brothers, are 'pop' icons; finally, the neo-baroque style of Marcel Wanders studio's Mabelle lamp. Together, the objects on display at Milan Design Week establish a connected vision: to break down reality. Qeeboo's unique and bold style communicates personality, novelty and curiosity, with each product contributing to the brand's concept while pushing through to the next stage of its ongoing story.

'Qeeboo is moving in two innovative directions. Firstly, by increasing its catalogue of extraordinary products, characterized by a great expressive power, that takes them from art or design galleries and introduces them into a wider market,' Giovannoni explains. 'On the other hand, we're developing products with a “street” or “cult” image, aimed at a younger audience, by assuming new technologies such as dip-printing and by retelling the stories of our most popular iconic products for the new generation.'

Cover image: Golden Brothers, designed by  Stefano Giovannoni.