CHAMPIONS / TABLES / GALERIE KREO /
2011
CHAMPIONS is a collection of lacquered tables we produced for Galerie Kreo in Paris. The tables are made of aluminum (extrusions and folded sheet) with tops in float glass. PODIFY, the largest table, measures 3.5m in length.

The graphics applied on the tables are fictional. They have no meaning other than to create an illusion which outgrows the objective reality of the product. Obviously, the tables are inspired by sport equipment like bikes, skis, and racecars. In the world of sports, speed, performance, and strength are essential. Graphics are used to underline these attributes. The project is not just about surface decoration. I am interested in the psychology of graphics on products, and, more specifically, in how the semantics of certain colors, words, and symbols change the perception of an object.

The graphics are spray-painted by Walter Maurer, a lacquerer whose extraordinary skill and craftsmanship became a crucial factor in realizing the project.

"By transferring the precision that derives from the research and design process from his industrial product designs to these new gallery bound tables, Grcic has been able to question these two genealogies central to the history of product design: of Prouve, Breuer and Rams with their strict principles and geometries on the one hand, and Studio Alchimia and Memphis, with their panoply of ersatz decorative signs and playfully Pop shapes on the other. Instead of just being a tautological game, this is nothing less than a speculative design process aimed at generating a vocabulary of product design for the future."
Excerpt taken from a text by art critic Alex Coles.

The CHAMPIONS collection consists of 4 large tables (APACHE, BANZAI, JETDOG, PODIFY), and 4 small tables (MONROE, NADA, JAXONE, 465). Each table is produced as an edition of six. The exhibition CHAMPIONS was on show at Galerie Kreo from June 11 until July 23, 2011.

Project assistant: Jan Heinzelmann (KGID)
Laquering: Walter Maurer, Art + Design Works
Producer: Galerie Kreo, Paris