by Niklas Jacob
FUNNYTURE is a compilation of furniture designed over the years by Niklas Jacob. The exhibited designs come from two separate collections; the Bauhaus Collection and the Design Metafisico Collection. All designs are unique pieces only produced as one-off and neverintended for the market. FUNNYTURE explores the boundaries between design and communication, creating an amusing experience by the relationship of significance and object.
In 1917, Marcel Duchamp, the founder of the DADA art movement, displayed a urinal in a New York art gallery, titling it "Fountain" and signing it with the name "R. Mutt." In German armut means “poverty”. By taking an everyday object from the restroom and placing it in the art gallery, Duchamp transformed its meaning and challenged the way we perceive objects. This shift in perception was further amplified by the title and signature, making the name inseparable from the artwork. It became an integral part of the relationship between the art and its title, deepening the connection between the two.
Dadaism would go on to influence various art movements, notably Pop Art. Works like Andy Warhol's Campbell's Tomato Soup cans or Roy Lichtenstein's paintings compelled us to reconsider the distinction between everyday commodities, cartoons, and art, all by changing the context.
Duchamp's influence also extended to Italian designers. For example, there's a clear line from Duchamp's ready-made sculptures, crafted from found materials, to Achille Castiglioni's "Mezzadro chair." The works of Studio 65 and the design trio De Pas, D'Urbino, and Lomazzi, as well as Ettore Sottsass Jr.'s "Valentine" typewriter, were heavily inspired by Dadaism and Pop Art. Once again, the relationship between name and object could not be separated. FUNNYTURE embodies the same thought process that Duchamp presented in 1917.
Bio
Niklas Jacob is a Danish designer, author, and educator. He began his creative career in 1989 as a self-taught painter. He exhibited in several small art galleries in Copenhagen in the years from 1990-1992.
In 1993, he moved to Italy, where he studied Industrial Design in Milan at "The International College of Arts and Sciences" and the "Politecnico di Milano" from 1993 to 1997, and later also at the Royal Academy of Art, School of Architecture, Design, and Conservation in Copenhagen.
After a brief period with Design Group Italia, in early 1998, he joined MOMO DESIGN, where, the following year, he became Chief Designer. He later worked as Design Manager for Makio Hasuike & Co. before deciding to open his own studio.
Niklas Jacob has taught Industrial Design at the University of Camerino, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Industrial Design in Ascoli Piceno, and as a guest lecturer at the Design School Kolding in Denmark. Since 2021, he has been a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design in the United States.
Niklas Jacob has developed projects for all sectors of design, from product design to graphics and packaging, as well as strategic design and branding. He has curated several design exhibitions, including Explicit Design (2012), IDEA – The Design Supermarket (2018), and 20 Years of Design (2019).
