Moroso Collaborates With the Marina Abramovic Institute
Daniel Libeskind for Moroso with Marina Abramovic Institute, ‘Counting the Rice’ concrete table. Photography by Gianni Antoniali/Ikon.
Oftentimes, there’s a fine line between art and design. And this is certainly the case with a new limited-edition furniture collection produced by
Moroso
in collaboration with the
Marina Abramovic Institute
(MAI). Currently consisting of two objets d’art, the collection lends a sense of perpetuity to Abramovic’s impermanent performance pieces.
“The collaboration has been years in the making, rooted in friendship,” says Patrizia Moroso, art director of the brand. “We have a mutual admiration for one another. Working with an artist like Marina goes even further to strengthen Moroso’s ties to the art world. The visual arts and creative context have long served as a source of inspiration for how I view design.”
Moroso is releasing a limited edition of 30 ‘Counting the Rice’ tables, designed by Daniel Libeskind and constructed of high-performance concrete. The piece accommodates and gives shape to Abramovic’s ‘Counting the Rice’ exercise, which involves counting grains of rice and lentils—while remaining seated for a minimum of six hours—in a test of physical and mental endurance.
The second piece in the collection is the ‘Portal’ chair, designed by Patricia Urquiola and created especially for audiences of particularly lengthy performances hosted by MAI. Moroso will produce a special edition of seven ‘Portal’ chairs, each with a unique design detail that distinguishes it from the rest.
Moroso recently exhibited the ‘Counting the Rice’ concrete table, along with a performance-only wooden version (also designed by Libeskind), and the ‘Portal’ chair at Art Basel Miami. Proceeds from the limited-edition collection will will help fund MAI’s future projects.
Patricia Urquiola for Moroso with Marina Abramovic Institute, ‘Portal’ chair. Photography by Gianni Antoniali/Ikon.
Daniel Libeskind for Moroso with Marina Abramovic Institute, ‘Counting the Rice’ wooden table (performance version). Photography by Gianni Antoniali/Ikon.
