On view at Ace Hotel Palm Springs from Feb. 17 -25, 2023, will be the Be Original Americas’ Originality Deconstructed exhibition, celebrating creativity by pulling back the curtain on the “how” and “why” of some of the international design industry’s most iconic products. Commemorating Be Original Americas’ 10th anniversary and held during Modernism Week 2023, the showcase incorporates physical designs, disassembled elements, raw materials and videos by Be Original Americas members Anglepoise, Bernhardt Design, Carl Hansen & Søn, Herman Miller, Fritz Hansen, Georg Jensen, Menu, Ligne Roset, Lumens and Phase Design. It will uncover how leading industry players consider every step of their proprietary processes.
“We're thrilled to be a sponsor of Originality Deconstructed and to partner with Be Original Americas in our joint commitment to the authenticity of design,” says Laura Walsh, Lumens CEO. We're so excited to learn more about the process behind so many of the brands that Lumens is proud to carry.”
Revealing the precision hand tools that go into making fine silverware items, the meticulously-milled wooden components that make up a historic chair, and so much more, the showcase will offer an in-depth look into different aspects of production that few ever witness in person. By uncovering the various facets of manufacturing, the exhibition will allow visitors to better understand issues surrounding sustainability—how materials are sourced and processed—and the challenges that come with ensuring the authenticity of a design. Brands are increasingly confronted with the new realities of the digital marketplace, the positive and negative effects of constant exposure. What skill sets, approaches, and apparatus can be harnessed to help promote originality among contemporary designers and entrepreneurs?
The exhibition is being mounted by independent design writer and curator Adrian Madlener, with the generous support of Host Sponsor Ace Hotel, Imaginative Sponsor Lumens, Innovative Sponsor Fritz Hansen and Inspired Sponsor Crypton. Madlener will moderate a round table discussion entitled Good Carpenters Celebrate Their Tool on Feb. 23, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs. The conversation will seek to highlight the literal and metaphorical inputs designers, architects, and other creatives implement in their practices. Panelists will include: Brad Wilson, CEO, Ace Hotel, Primo Orpilla, co-founder, Studio O+A, Lawrence Lazzaro, owner, Modern Hacienda, Amy Auscherman, director, Herman Miller Archives, Annie McKenna, head of contract, Fritz Hansen and Ann Petersen, director, brand & trade marketing, Lumens. To attend, please visit https://bit.ly/palm-springs-roundtable.
A first showcase was mounted at the Ace Hotel New York in October 2022 and a third exhibition will be held at Ace Hotel Los Angeles from March 17 - 26, 2023. Each presentation has and will feature different member exhibitors and new deconstructed products to discover.
