We’re all intrigued by the boundary between art and design. Where does it lie? Does it even exist? Masquespacio, helmed by Ana Hernández and Christophe Penasse, recently set out to find it for themselves. Masquespacio is part of Mas Creations, who have been creating designs since 2010. Their Forms & Textures exhibition, that took place at Milan Design Week 2022, reflects their journey to figuring out if their work is 100% design or a mix of art and design together.
Upon seeing the neon objects that make up Forms & Textures, you might identify them as a chair, lamp, or room divider. They’re abstract, maybe a bit uncomfortable to dissect, and clearly not meant to be functional designs. But they could be. Who is responsible for defining them? The designer or the spectator? In other words, does function alone justify an object as “design” or does the reflection that went into creating the object also qualify it as art? This series of forms is meant to make us question all of that and reflect on the boundaries between the two. Each piece stands alone while also connecting to one another visually. And the contrast of textures, materials, and colors used for each represent those boundaries.
Christophe Penasse + Ana Hernández
To learn more about Form & Textures, visit mas-creations.com.
Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.
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