Cocksedge: Excavations

A physically and conceptually powerful operation by this talented British designer traces a parallel between his personal history, the shape of the objects and the destinies of cities. #MDW2017

During the Milan Furniture Fair, the Freedman Benda gallery from New York is giving a preview of “Excavation: Evicted”, the latest project by the talented British designer Paul Cocksedge (London, 1978). The project was made in collaboration with Beatrice Trussardi and is on display at the Fondazione Luigi Rovati at corso Venezia 52. The exhibition allows visitors to access the rooms of the 17th-century palazzo for the first time. Immediately after the Salone, the space will be restored to become the city’s first private Etruscan museum.

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Top : Paul Cocksedge, “Excavation: evicted”,The massiveness of the cores is exalted by the evanescence of glass, Paul Cocksedge, Milan, 2017 Above : Paul Cocksedge, “Excavation: evicted”, View of the exhibition space in the Fondazione Luigi Rovati, Milan, 2017

Paul Cocksedge and the large table of "Excavation: Evicted", Milan, 2017

Paul Cocksedge, “Excavation: evicted”, the extracted findings show London’s multi-layered history, with concrete hiding the building's original Victorian bricks, Milan, 2017

Paul Cocksedge, shelves, “Excavation: evicted”, Milan, 2017

This is the umpteenth brilliant confirmation of Cocksedge’s conceptual depth. “Excavation: Evicted” is the physical reaction to the designer's eviction from his studio of 12 years in London to make room for property development. The purpose of this project was to “celebrate and release the tension and creative energy that have shaped the space.” Cocksedge drilled down into the studio’s floor to excavate layered cores of heavy material that he then transformed into five distinct and powerful pieces of furniture by adding immaterial sheets of glass.

Paul Cocksedge, “Excavation: evicted”, View of the exhibition space in the Fondazione Luigi Rovati, Milan, 2017

Not just a response to his personal situation, the project echoes sociopolitical and cultural upheavals affecting many strata of contemporary society. Creative life in London, one of the world’s great metropolises and cultural centres, is acutely affected by increasing property values. “Excavation: Evicted” is a seismograph of what is happening in many other cities where the global movement into urban areas is forcing change in daily life.

Paul Cocksedge Paul Cocksedge and the large table of "Excavation: Evicted", Milan, 2017

4 – 9 April 2017
Paul Cocksedge, Excavation: evicted
Fondazione Luigi Rovati
corso Venezia 52, Milan

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Cocksedge: Excavations

A physically and conceptually powerful operation by this talented British designer traces a parallel between his personal history, the shape of the objects and the destinies of cities. #MDW2017

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