Nendo's 'The Space in-between' at Design Museum Holon.

The first museum retrospective exhibition by nendo will be held over a five month period at the Design Museum Holon in Israel. Nendo’s designs begin by exploring and layering existing preconceptions, then locating the gaps or “spaces” in between these layers to tie the new ideas together. The idea behind this method is to gradually broaden the mind of the viewer. More than 70 works divided into 6 categories are exhibited, with the aim of providing visitors with a first-hand experience of this process.

Reexamining existing manufacturing processes draws one’s attention to the spaces that exist between these sequential events. One can use these spaces to add a new process, omit an existing process, or change the order of processes. Or one can even replace an existing process with a completely different manufacturing process; the result is an entirely new perception of value.

Materials have their own distinct characteristics. These can be varied, from physical traits to qualitative properties of their feel or expression. If one takes a closer look at the gaps between two differing materials, it becomes apparent that there are no clear-cut distinctions, but rather a gradated space in which their respective characteristic features waver ambiguously. It is this space that forms a platform for new ideas and creativity.

There is a multitude of interactions in everyday life; Between people and things, things and spaces, the inner and the outer, the self and the other. Blurring, erasing, or slightly shifting the lines between these boundaries can challenge and loosen our preconceptions, giving rise to new spaces.

There are also plenty of gaps or spaces within things. Widening, truncating, or replacing these gaps with completely different elements can bring about new functions and meanings from the inside. If there are no discernible spaces, then shifting something ever so slightly can create a similar effect. The ‘layering’ and ‘depth’ of these respective elements, brought about by the use of a series of spaces, can also be of great interest to us.

Whether they are top-down or locational, multiple elements are inevitably bound by some kind of relationship that holds them in balance. Breaking such a state of equilibrium can create spaces between existing relationships, and thereby reconstruct them. Connecting things that are initially separate. Layering things that are initially adjacent to each other. Inversing the relationship of structure and finish, or of design and function. Creating alternate relationships and states of balance in this way can lead to new and invaluable discoveries.

Transferring the invisible senses such as sound, taste, smell, and time into physical form allows more people to register them at one time. This also involves exploring the spaces between two differing senses, such as visual and aural, or visual and sense of taste. Such designs allow viewers to translate their visual perceptions into a different sensory perception, thereby creating a feeling of satisfaction not unlike when one solves a puzzle or quiz.

See more projects from Nendo on Yellowtrace here.