International art gallery Galerie Philia boasts an interesting program that seeks to engage youth through the design industry. Many designers today are focusing on creating unique, one-of-a-kind sculptural furniture that will create accents within the home or on the exhibition floor. Galerie Philia gives the responsibility of design to children through a non-profit initiative called Design Brut: Philia & Kids.
Nineteen kids (aged six and seven) from the Breil-sur-Roya village in France partook in the first iteration of the program. Supervised by BehaghelFoiny Studio, the young participants were engaged through a series of workshops and were encouraged to "draw their interpretations of sculptural design. Studio founders Antoine Behaghel and Alexis Foiny created the sculptural furniture, "based solely on drawings from the children."
These whimsical works were exhibited at Espace Meyer Zafra in Paris.
Kid-Designed Sculptural Furniture
Art Gallery Galerie Philia Engages Children with Design-Thinking
Trend Themes
1. Youth-engaging Design - Opportunity for businesses to engage children in the design industry and facilitate unique, collaborative and diverse design-thinking.
2. Sculptural Furniture - Emerging trend of designing unique, one-of-a-kind sculptural furniture that creates accents within the home or on the exhibition floor.
3. Design Brut - A non-profit initiative that gives responsibility of design to children and is creating opportunities for innovative, ethical and inclusive designs.
Industry Implications
1. Art Gallery - Art galleries can explore the Design Brut initiative to engage with communities, showcase artists and facilitate collaborations with talented designers.
2. Furniture Manufacturing - Furniture manufacturers can benefit from the trend of sculptural furniture by incorporating unique and innovative designs into their production line, creating new product offerings and attracting design-savvy consumers.
3. Education - Schools can implement programs that engage children in design-thinking, foster creativity and help promote diversity and inclusivity through collaborative design projects.