Unseen

Exploring hidden material and its potential.

The project Unseen explores how we perceive and value materials. It focuses on particleboard, a material usually hidden or discarded, and shows how it can be revalued. By questioning material hierarchies and conventions of visibility, Unseen reveals the often-overlooked beauty of everyday objects.
Canal
Habitat
This project is part of
Forward Furniture
G10
De Caai
De Kade, Kanaaldijk-Zuid 1 D
5613LH

Entrance fee

By

David Bühler

Hosted by

DDW X Liv Vaisberg
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Opening hours

11:00
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18:00
11:00
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18:00
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18:00
11:00
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18:00
11:00
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18:00
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18:00
11:00
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18:00
11:00
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18:00
Tactile
Tactile
Toilets Toilets available
Wheelchair Friendly Partially wheelchair accessible

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Material & Concept

Particleboard, usually treated as purely functional, becomes the focus of Unseen. Industrial strapping, normally used to secure goods, is repurposed as a structural and visual element, emphasizing tension and form. The project highlights the material’s textures and layers, inviting reflection on how everyday objects can gain new value through careful attention and recontextualization.

Implementation

The surface of the boards is treated to emphasize the material itself, highlighting textures and layers that are usually overlooked. The strapping reinforces tension and form, with small incisions along the straps referencing their original industrial function, making the connection to their context clear and intentional. All the furniture pieces are held together solely by the strapping and can be fully disassembled, transforming functional processes into expressive gestures that invite viewers to reflect on the inherent beauty, potential, and adaptability of everyday materials.

Unseen — Bench
Unseen — Bench
David Bühler
Unseen — Coffee Table
Unseen — Coffee Table
David Bühler
Unseen — Bar Stool
Unseen — Bar Stool
David Bühler
Unseen — Detail
Unseen — Detail
David Bühler