Junya Ishigami - Table, 2006. Similarly to the project for a...

Junya Ishigami - Table, 2006. Similarly to the project for a restaurant, this rigorous and fascinating exploration of a single table unveils the varying scales at which we perceive space, structure, and arrangement. Located in a large gallery space, the table at first appears to be an ordinary object, covered in an ordinary mix of plants, food, and tableware. Upon further inspection, the table actual reveals itself to be impossibly thin. Appropriately named the “magic table”, it is over 31ft (9.5M) long, 8ft (2,6m) wide, but is less than 1/8″ thick (3mm). To achieve this, the table is fabricated as a single, large prestressed steel sheet. Out of the press, it is completely bent and curled like a pig’s tail (last two images). Once set, the table’s own weight combined with the loads of the various objects on it slowly bend it to a flat surface. The exact weight of every object was precisely calculated (3 loaves of bread in a wire basket, one pot of tea in a porcelain vessel), the exact location dimensioned (the fork 3 inches to the left of the plate, the vase 6″ to the rear of the kettle), to ensure structural stability. Touching the table top by hand creates gentle ripples in the surface, further exaggerating the immateriality of the object. By treating this seemingly mundane piece of furniture with the same rigor and detail of a large building, the complexities of structural forces and creation of spatial relationships is achieved at the scale of household objects. Scans via. 

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