„Stone Infinite“ at Xiamen’s Trade Fair: Natural stone design finally coming of age

Mosaic 4.0 was the name Gökhan Karakus of Emedya Design Studio, Turkey gave his draft based on Islamic geometric art. Silkar/Akdo Company was the producer of the prototypes.

The show with product ideas from around the world, aims to help the entire branch and finally part with frivolity

It was a first for Xiamen Stone Fair March 6th to 9th 2018, and its title, „Stone Infinite“, subtitled „Product Design Show“, said it all: ways to use natural stone for household products.

The show’s guiding principle was to present marketable objects. In the recent past, natural stone product design more often than not brought forth nice-to-have frivolities. „Stone Infinite“ is calling in a new age: kinder-garden is over and it’s time to move on and join the grown-ups and produce marketable objects.

Of course, the credo had consequences for the down-to-earth design-objects.

But if the fundamental 3-F principle, i.e.: form follows function, is to hold true, there can be no room for overdone, fancy design. We recall: the 3-F principle dictates that the function of an object must remain its paramount aim. Thus, appearance must submit to the constraints of function.

„Stone Infinite“: Like a tunnel into the future.

The aim of the show was to play the principle through, although there was room for objects which went outside the boundaries.

Another distinguishing factor was that the product ideas originated from around the globe. It was the aim of Xiamen Stone Fair to underscore its goal of being THE platform for exchange of ideas world-wide.

The presentation was organized in a cooperative venture between Xiamen Jinhongxin Exhibition Co. Ltd, the Fair’s Organizing body, and, Stone-Ideas.com. Companies and designers who produced the objects contributed as well.

A documentation ready to download will appear soon.

We show the pieces presented.

Photos: Fair Organizers / Peter Becker

Designer Joyce Wand drafted an item for Xiamen Fulin Stone purposely using red marble with distinctive veins: Natural stone, to her, is the flesh of the earth.Chris Basias of CT Light, Athens showed marble lamps. width=5th Gallery showed objects for an aesthetically pleasing daily life in China and combined stone with wood.5th Gallery’s presentation included traditional paintings with stone roofing.Coldspring, USA showed an example for use of natural stone in outside areas, e.g.: fountains in the much acclaimed City Creek Center, Salt Lake City.UMGG showed a side table, in which stone and wood were held together by means of traditional mortise and tenon joints.Italian designers Francesca Pievani and Alice Zantedeschi (Studio Fili Pari) developed „Veromarmo“: a marble powder applied to a microfilm. It is water and wind resistant. The red color originates form the red marble Rosso Verona implemented.A table for tea ceremonies was shown by Chinese furniture Mo Xia. The tabletop was made of Blue Larikite provided by Norwegian Lundhs Company.A table for tea ceremonies was shown by Chinese furniture Mo Xia. The tabletop was made of Blue Larikite provided by Norwegian Lundhs Company.Jinsheng Stone Company crossed the boundaries of the normal square, the shape of normal stone slabs, by cutting spheres and recombining them.

(11.05.2018, USA: 05.11.2018)