Studio Job and Faena Art Celebrate 4 Years of Collaboration

Urban Alchemy, 2014. Photography by Nikolas Koenig/Studio Job/Faena.

Encapsulating everything from kaleidoscopic wallpapers and graphics to whimsical furnishings, the work of Job Smeets’s and Nynke Tynagel’s

Studio Job

bridges art and design, often creating a world unto itself. Four years ago, the Antwerp- and Netherlands-based studio partnered with Argentine hotelier and real estate developer

Alan Faena

to develop a series of custom way-finding symbols, graphics, banners, and monuments. Now,

Faena Art Center Buenos Aires

presents an interactive exhibition to celebrate: “Futopia: Faena by Studio Job,” on view July 23 through August 3.

Faena pattern. Photography courtesy of Studio Job/Faena.

The exhibit’s site links back to the first way-finding project at the Faena District in Buenos Aires. Featuring never-before-seen process drawings, renderings, and models, the show will tell the story of the work between the two companies and reveal the behind-the-scenes of how Studio Job operates. To house the display, Studio Job has created a custom intervention that is sure to steal the show. Stained glass will cover the triple-height, cathedral-style windows of the FAC, and a roller disco floor will host skaters.

Commenting on the relationship to Faena, Job speaks of a nearly perfect client-designer connection: “Working with Faena is not working. Playing with Faena is intellectual fun, an incredible series of inspiring experimentations,” he says. Alan Faena is also quick to recognize the studio’s ability to foster cross-cultural exchange and stylistic evolution for his company. The exhibition will only serve to solidify a steady and growing affiliation—a Miami Beach collaboration is set to open phase one in November.

From left: Tree of Life, 2012-2015. Faena Fountain, 2012-2014. Photography courtesy of Studio Job/Faena.