The exhibition Soft Solids explores the intentional use and repurposing of natural materials, reflecting on the potential for regeneration within design practice. The incorporation of wax in crafting light objects introduces distinctive characteristics: its capacity to transform from a shapeless mass into a tangible form and revert to a flexible or even fluid state.
A blend of natural materials, including stearin, one of the most common naturally occurring saturated fatty acids, and soy wax, made from soybean oil, encodes environmentally friendly renewal processes and actions of responsible consumption to satisfy personal needs. The two materials, chosen for their specific properties, give the soft solids the required resistance and strength.
Wax is used not only to shape the lighting objects ( lampshades) but also for modular installation, convenient for adaptation in various spaces by changing its form or scale. Despite illumination, the light objects embody symbolic meaning representing the processes of growth and regeneration occurring in nature.
Natural wax, resembling plastic in appearance, adopts biomorphic forms while the emitted off-white, soft blue and green coloured lights allude to natural entities or phenomena. The nature of wax accentuates the potential within the design process, combining various manufacturing methods such as handcraft, digital 3D modelling, and upcycling.
Upcycling within the Soft Solids exhibition involves the creative integration of components and elements sourced from now non-functional luminaires, primarily designed in the 20th century, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, originating from diverse countries such as Sweden, Italy, and the former Czechoslovakia.
The fusion of new elements, crafted from plant-based wax, with existing ones, including metal and glass components, weaves a narrative of nostalgia, grounded in the present yet projecting towards the future. This approach pays tribute to creative individuality, revitalizing vintage objects with fresh energy and encouraging viewers to recognize their original designs while appreciating their transformed states.
The Soft Solids explore balance of resistance and fragility, functionality, and sustainable adaptability within the object. They raise questions about the potential implications of adopting a “soft solid” strategy in contemporary design and consumer behaviours.
Exhibition supported by: Lithuanian Culture Council, Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture
Gallery’s patrons: Renata ir Rolandas Valiūnai
Gallery supported by: Vilnius City Municipalty, Lietuvos Rytas, Vilma Dagilienė, Romas Kinka, Ekskomisarų biuras, MailerLite, Plieno Spektras
Graphic design: Taktika Studio
Photography: Norbert Tukaj
