It was at the latest edition of 3daysofdesign, Denmark's major design event, that German furniture designer and craftsman Carsten in der Elst presented his very first exhibition, "Soft Works," at the Tableau gallery in the heart of Copenhagen. As its name suggests, this installation is an ode to softness and languor. To bring it to life, the young Cologne-based creative dedicated over two months to researching comfortable materials. He then put this research into practice in the world of interior design through a show presented in the Scandinavian capital. The result? An A-to-Z of materials, both natural and synthetic, temporary and permanent, recycled and pristine. A jumble that prompts us to question our relationship to comfort, the consistency of materials, and even touch. In the design of his pieces, the traditional upholstery process was bypassed in favor of another, resulting in a softer feel. Only those pieces that highlighted the properties of the materials were retained. Among the most striking creations are the "Aluskin" daybed in aluminum and foam, as well as this white chaise lounge, this coffee table in wood fiber and latex, and the highly unusual "Accession Chair" upholstered in latex tubes. Some, suggesting the ephemeral, are full of poetry, like these cork chairs and stools with crumbling contours, and this wax lamp that seems to be collapsing.
