KGID (Konstantin Grcic Industrial Design)

Description

German designer Konstantin Grcic was born in Munich in 1965. After opening his practice KGID (Konstantin Grcic Industrial Design) in 1990, he very quickly received recognition for his simple, ingenious products. With numerous commissions from the most important names in the design industry, such as Authentics, Flos, iittala, Krups, Magis and Muji, his work has been widely published in several books and design reviews, and has been awarded the prestigious Compasso d'Oro (Milan, 2001) and Nombre d'Or (Paris, 2004), among others. Grcic describes himself as a mix of German mentality and English education. Following his initial training as a cabinetmaker, from which he retains the hands-on approach and sensitivity to materials of a craftsman, Grcic went on to study contemporary design at the Royal College of Art in London. This formative experience added a new dimension to his fascination with making things. As a result, every one of his products is characterized by his careful research into the history of design and architecture, and his passion for technology and materials. So much so, that Achille Castiglioni, one of the most significant Italian designers of the twentieth century, considered him to be his 'spiritual heir'. Blending restraint of form and materials with a sense of playfulness, his products have an immediate universal appeal. They are simple and minimalist, but Grcic always gives a new take to straightforward and common objects. This can be clearly seen in his acclaimed Mayday lamp (2001), which instantaneously became a design icon and was selected for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, and in his most recent project, the die-cast aluminium chair_ONE (2004), where he experimented with a technology rarely used in large-scale objects. The book presents the work of KGID, showcasing a remarkable portfolio of products and design concepts with especially commissioned photographs and original drawings. It also offers a rare insight into his design process by showing the various stages of a product's development through sketches, models, computer renderings and snapshots at the workshops of KGID and several manufacturers. With texts by Konstantin Grcic, Thimo te Duits, Francesca Picchi and Eckhardt Nickel, and conceived by Florian Bohm and Konstantin Grcic, this is the first publication on one of the most interesting and prolific designers of today.

Florian Bohm was founding partner and director of Scheppe Bohm Associates (1994-2003), a multidisciplinary creative office developing corporate communication identities for countries and brands like Austria, Benetton and Vitra. In 2004, he set up his own practice focusing on photography, visual research and publishing. As co-author of the book and photographic study ENDCOMMERCIAL(R) (2002) he has received international acclaim. He lives in Munich and New York. Thimo te Duits is curator of twentieth-century design and decorative arts at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Editor of The Origin of Things (2003), he has also curated many exhibitions and published several articles in specialized reviews and books. He lives in Rotterdam. Francesca Picchi is a design writer, curator and editor at Domus. She has published books on design, including monographs on Enzo Mari (1999) and Alberto Meda (2003). She lives in Milan. Eckhardt Nickel is a freelance writer who lives in Katmandu and Munich. He is also chief editor of the literary review Der Freund.

'Perfectly conceived industrial design that covers everything from plastic bins to aluminium stacking chairs inspired by a football. And its' Gr-chitch, by the way.' (Guardian) 'The enigmatic designer who's challenging the look and feel of everything that surrounds us ... an original hands-on monograph full of great photographs that relish showing both how finished designs come to be tweaked and refined, and how they end up being used.' (Fiona Rattray, Observer magazine) 'Now this is the way to do a monograph: a portrait of the processes and motivations behind Grcic's work. A lot more enlightening than the usual vanity projects.' (Icon)