Shifting Perspectives: Dichotomous Designs Where Tension And Relaxation Meet
- Name
- Hyongho Park · Jeong Ho Ko
- Project
- Slice Series
- Words
- Rosie Flanagan
Seoul-based designers Jeong Ho Ko and Hyongho Park (of Frnkl) have collaborated to produce a collection of stainless steel sculptures—which double as seats and side tables—designed to formally balance tension and relaxation.
“Tension causes us to be sensitive, making us…focus on the surrounding environment, causing our senses to become clearer”, a statement about the project explains. “At the same time, relaxation makes it possible to comfortably accept these clear senses.” The ‘Slice Series’ toys with this dichotomy, playing with the potential for formal balance to be achieved between the two. The geometric pieces appear to have been sliced in half, their soft forms cut at sharp angles to reveal polished interiors that contrast heavily against their brushed-metal exteriors. These angular cuts make the pieces appear unstable or uncomfortable, sharp and cold; in reality, the sculptural collection has been designed with utilitarian purpose; “When using the slice series, they [the users] are relaxed from the tension, making them feel…the ‘balance’ they did not before.”
All images © Jeong Ho Ko and Hyongho Park