Multiply Office

For the 10th anniversary of Work Room Four, we have been invited to the ‘Now We Are 10’ Exhibition. This exhibition celebrates and unites artists, designers, and the Work Room Four community.

Artists and designers were requested to produce artworks or designs related to a series of questions:

• What does ‘creativity’ mean to you?
• How have the arts developed in Vietnam over the past 10 years?
• Reflect on the past 10 years of your creative practice.

We are delighted to be part of the show and present our work alongside Work Room Four for this event.

Work Room Four is a multidisciplinary art and design studio and gallery based in Hanoi. We first met them 10 years ago when Armand Devillard and Nicolas Moser decided to start designing bespoke furniture once a week on Tuesday nights during a few hours of brainstorming and to create the ‘Multiply’ design platform.

At that time, we had the chance to be hosted by Work Room Four at Zone Nine, where we established our first ‘Studio’ in 2014.

A decade later, this exhibition provides us with an opportunity to look back and reflect on how Vietnam has influenced our work.

We decided to work on two objects. The first is a presentation of works inspired by our time in Vietnam. It includes a series of our furniture pieces together in one image. We see it as a way to illustrate the energy and frenetic pace we encounter in Hanoi. This energy is one of our inspirations in our creative process. The pragmatism we have observed over the past decade has shaped our creativity, challenging us to question the form and function of the objects that we use daily and the interpretations we hold. It’s a reevaluation of how we look at things and how tradition, habit, and culture have shaped us.

The second work is the mise-en-scène of one of our bespoke furniture pieces, the ‘Swiss Stool,’ which takes inspiration from the Bia Hoi plastic stool. It functions as both a table and chair, being light, flexible, and affordable for use everywhere, including street restaurants. In contrast, we challenge our Swiss vision and address sustainability concerns that we cannot ignore. The stool’s shape, with its curved angles and size, recalls the plastic stool, while the plain plate serving as a foot exhibits ornamentation reminiscent of Swiss art. This symbolism of two countries converging is deeply intriguing for us, illustrating that things should influence one another to propose something new while preserving their essence.

The Bia Hoi symbolizes socialization, joy, and sharing for all generations. The metal stool with its ornamental features secures it in a more enduring moment, one of great importance to all of us. Values are the foundation of our lives, and they must endure, regardless of the evolving landscape.

Half artistic installation and half practical item, the Swiss stool is our interpretation of contemporary Vietnam, a place full of contrast that we observe in the various scenes of life that happen on the streets of Hanoi, blending all of this together.

Through these two works, we attempt to illustrate this energetic chaotic power, so inspiring that we have felt it every day for the past 10 years.