The style Exchange, Canada’s iconic style museum, revealed a fresh new look last Friday at their relaunch gala, the DX Intersection. It was an ambitious jump-start to what promises to be a programmed-packed year for the museum, which seeks to establish itself as a cornerstone in the Canadian style community.
Even the most discerning partygoer was sure to be impressed by the event. The DX team pulled out all the stops with an Ikea sponsored silent auction, performance art, whimsical food, hip music as well as an enjoyment park-style raffle where popped balloons would expose a bunch of prizes. guests were motivated to check out all three levels of Toronto’s original stock exchange, where an unpredictable experience was organized at every turn.
On the original trading floor, guests were greeted with a larger-than-life installation entitled Black Friday by multimedia artist Niall McClelland as well as Toronto-based artist as well as musician Alex Durlak. The innovative duo filled the vast area with countless graphic newspapers, broadsheet murals, projections as well as suspended trellises decorated with illuminated papers. The installation served as a striking canopy over top a sea of guests who danced, drank as well as hobnobbed throughout the space.
In both scale as well as pattern, McClelland as well as Durlak discovered motivation from both our present economics as well as the efforts of Charles Comfort, the artist who crafted the building’s iconic frieze.
Back at ground level, Ikea provided Auktion, their partnership with 20 designers who were provided a $500 budget plan to recreate as well as deconstruct Ikea products into their own unique creations. The difficulty was a nod to the prominent blog, Ikea Hackers.
H&H’s own mark Challen as well as Suzanne Dimma designed The game Changer, a smooth as well as contemporary handle the traditional ping-pong table. The challenge: “To style a piece that would make a bold, contemporary statement as well as be as lively as the game itself.” Their mod table was outfitted with two Ikea Docksta table bases as well as a custom high-gloss playing surface, an undeniably stylish piece.
Davide Tonizzo covertly re-tooled traditional Ikea untreated pine boards into the famous Tony Manero Saturday night Fever present for his piece called You Can Dance. influenced by Swedish design, Tonizzo’s ode to ABBA as well as the glorious days of disco are front as well as centre in his lively piece. The designer showcases quintessential Ikea style by utilizing “clever modular furniture with minimal, geometric however ridged forms.”
Toronto-based fashion designer Philip Sparks discovered motivation in an act that strikes fear into many a guy — tying a bow tie. Philip caught this universal stress and anxiety by bringing together 50 Ikea cord sets as well as bulbs into one big bow tie knot entitled, exactly how to tie a Bow Tie. The result is an incredibly remarkable tangle of light.
Knob Portrait: Mayor Ford by Paul Raff studio brought in the greatest quote at the auction for $3,000. influenced by Andy Warhol’s star portraits, the piece was made up of 983 Ikea cupboard doorknobs, putting Toronto’s mayor in the limelight when again.
Advertising company spinoff Sid Lee collective took motivation from within. Their piece entitled Spela (“play” in Swedish) was an homage to the agency’s collaborative approach to creativity. Their interactive installation incorporated music as well as miniature orbs of recognizable characters (including Kanye West as well as woman Gaga) that lit up as well as played music as you moved them around the table.
Toronto’s Mason studio acknowledged the elephant in the room. The inventive group dealt with a familiar Ikea property, repurposing the traditional Frakta blue carryall into an adorable piece entitled, what else, Elephant in the Room.
These are only a handful of my favourite pieces from the Ikea Auktion. A number of the other lively styles can be discovered right here with full descriptions from the designers.
DX Intersection brought style to life with an evening full of creativity as well as unforeseen surprises. An impressive starting point to the DX’s relaunch, the night offered a peek into the future of DX’s offerings. If the gala was any type of indication, the new direction will be forward-thinking, contemporary as well as full of new energy. I, for one, am excited to see where they take it.
Photo credits:1-9. Joel Hunking