Discover SCL live at Curated

To strengthen its DNA as a flagship for Belgian design, Mix Brussels launches its own design fair called Curated. The 45 participants will show their creations in the interior of Mix Brussels, which combines a hotel, coworking, restaurants and a sport- and wellbeing center in the setting of the former iconic Royal Belge-office building (1967) by architects René Stapels and Pierre Dufau. As the Brussels-based interior architect and designer Lionel Jadot conceived the interior concept of Mix Brussels, he also curates the first edition of the fair.

The selection includes both Belgian and international studios, creating unique or limited-edition pieces in the most diverse shapes, typologies, techniques and materials. As the fair is conceived as a promenade through the building, visitors can also discover the work of the circa 50 Belgian designers who created pieces for Mix Brussels itself, such as Arthur Vandergucht, Studio Elementaires or KRJST Studio. To stimulate the interaction between the pieces of Curated and the interior design, the scenography is kept as sober as possible, just as in the movie Dogville by Lars von Trier.

Connective crafting
During Curated, Soft Connection Lab shows its unique Braid to connect-seating objects, which symbolize the Soft Connection Lab-values. During a collective and connective crafting moment, we’ve healed these once banal, mass-produced stools. As there are enough chairs in the world, we prefer to give added value to the existing objects instead of making completely new things.

By healing discarded materials and objects such as the stools or textile waste with artisanal hands-on processes, we add an intangible, emotional layer that functions as a catalyst for sustainability. This results in a collection of readymade seating objects, which are made with the same bold ropes and the same braiding technique. They all differ in pattern, color and shape, as simulated in the sketches.

Moreover, Soft Connection Lab invites everyone to be part of the connective crafting process. As we believe it’s important to provide insight into the making process to stimulate the emotional bonds between the object and its future consumer, we plan to create some stools during the event. Everybody is welcome to observe or even participate and, by doing so, fully understand how the seating objects are made. Once made, our connected stools spark conversation and interaction, as they invite several people to sit closely together.