It's a Metaphor
Table for Gladstone London
This project is poking fun at itself while raising social awareness about gender equality. Specifically, it uses a metaphor that springs from sumo, one of the most male-dominated sports in Japanese society. Women are not allowed to compete professionally in this sport given sexist rules, which border them outside the wrestling ring as a result of their "impurity" by reason of the menstrual blood. Knocking a sumo warrior to the ground, at the service of a flower pot or any other need people may have, desecrates that macho-dominance sumo still holds, by simply using irony and humor.
Download Press Kit № 96553
Download Press Kit № 96553 Table for Gladstone London by Emanuele Di Bacco to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.
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Metaphor by Emanuele Di Bacco
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Table by Emanuele Di Bacco
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Emanuele Di Bacco Metaphor
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Emanuele Di Bacco Table
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Gladstone LondonBrand Logo
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It's a Metaphor Table Translations
Proudly offering It's a Metaphor project translations in several languages: Tafel AF, Tryeza SQ, ሠንጠረ AM, الطاولة AR, Սեղանը HY, Masa AZ, Mahai EU, Стол BE, টেবিল BN, Stol BS, Масата BG, စားပွဲတင် MY, Taula CA, Tebulo NY, 桌子 ZH, Tabella CO, Stol HR, Stůl CS, Bord DA, Tafel NL, Tablo EO, Laud ET, Pöytä FI, La Table FR, Mesa GL, მაგიდა KA, Tisch DE, Τραπέζι EL, ટેબલ GU, Tab HT, Tebur HA, שולחן HE, टेबल HI, Az Asztal HU, Meja ID, Tábla GA, Tebụl IG, Borð IS, Il Tavolo IT, テーブル JA, Tabel JV, ಟೇಬಲ್ KN, Үстел KK, តុ KM, Ameza RW, Стол KY, 테이블 KO, Sifrê KU, Mensa LA, Dësch LB, ໂຕະ LO, Stalas LT, Galds LV, Табелата MK, Latabatra MG, Meja MS, പട്ടിക ML, Mejda MT, Tepu MI, टेबल MR, Ширээ MN, टेबल NE, Bord NO, ଟେବୁଲ୍ OR, ਟੇਬਲ PA, میز FA, Stół PL, میز PS, A Mesa PT, Masa RO, Стол RU, ٽيبل SD, Laulau SM, Сто SR, Tha Bòrd GD, Tafura SN, මේසය SI, Stôl SK, Miza SL, Miiska SO, Tafole ST, La Mesa ES, Méja SU, Table EN, Meza SW, Bord SV, அட்டவணை TA, పట్టిక TE, Миз TG, โต๊ะ TH, Stol TK, Ang Talahanayan TL, Masa TR, Өстәл TT, ئۈستەل UG, Стіл UK, ٹیبل UR, Stol UZ, Bàn VI, Bwrdd CY, Tafel FY, Itafile XH, טיש YI, Tabili YO, Itafula ZU, 桌子 ZY, Ang Lamesa CEB, He Papa HAW, Rooj HMN, tailored for your needs.
It's a Metaphor Table Media Articles
For immediate use: It's a Metaphor articles, available in languages such as Japanese, Russian, English, Hindi, Italian, Indonesian, Arabic (Standard), Chinese (Mandarin), Turkish, Korean, German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese, to enrich your content.
Unique Properties
This is a furniture product able to speak and provoke, challenging with irony and a clumsy smile unethical behaviors of our times.
Tags
table, social design, equality of the sexes, Japan, sumo
Production Technology
3D-printed assembled object. It can be produced either way with Eco-friendly 3D-printed Poly Lactic Acid filaments or carbon fibers. The structure is divided in multiparts, hand refined and assembled. Successively the whole body is glazed by immersion and finished with a vitreous enamel coating. A round tempered glass is based on the structure and secured using discreet clear glass high-grip bumpers, specifically designed for the purpose. The structural analysis take into consideration the chosen materials and the multipart splitting process, where every cut and internal printed reinforcements are made to dump and sustain the weight the structure will go through.
Design Challenge
The creative challenge of this project is to combine the practical function of a furniture piece and communication contents as a means of social commitment. Sumo wrestlers are so well regarded and revered in society to be almost considered as macho semi-gods in their country; placing one of them in a conscious submissive position -grateful and happy to help others- wishes to rebalance a more male-dominated thinking to a non-discriminatory one.
Project Duration
The project has started in December 2019 in London and finished, as it is shown, in February 2020. Currently, the table has a unique prototype and will be ready to be produced and launched serially in May 2020.
Operation Flow
A table which can hosts up to 10 seaters. Ideal to be placed wherever an open minded spirit is at home.
Research
The main focus of this project -together with many pieces produced by our design studio- is to raise awareness about social rights and equal opportunity. Specifically, the target of our research was speaking about the equality of the sexes without being moralistic or patronising; in order to do this we chose to use irony and humour, two powerful rhetorical devices to convey a disputed concept without too much bloodshed.
Inspiration
"The piece of wood came alive and it was able to speak". That's pretty much what happened to Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio; likewise, adding communication contents to a product, gives this object an identity and the ability to speak to people. This project is poking fun at itself while aim to raise social awareness on equality of the sexes. Specifically, it uses a metaphor which springs from sumo, one of the most male dominated sport in the Japanese society. Women are not allowed to compete professionally in this sport given sexist rules, which by tradition border them outside the wrestling ring as a result of their "impurity" by reason of the menstrual blood. Knocking a sumo warrior to the ground at the service of a flower pot -or any other need people may require from a table- ironically desecrates this macho dominance still present in some traditions.
Image Credits
Emanuele Di Bacco all Rights Reserved
Project Overview
It's a Metaphor Table has been a Bronze winner in the Furniture Design award category in the year 2019 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Bronze Recognition
Emanuele Di Bacco was recognized with the coveted Bronze A' Design Award in 2020, a testament to excellence of their work It's a Metaphor Table.
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