Re-Source at Storefront

The exhibition design for Re-Source, titled Marimba, emphasizes the collectivity embedded in Storefront for Art and Architecture’s mission. The marimba — a Latin American percussion instrument consisting of a set of hardwood plates (similar to a xylophone) — is one of the few musical instruments best played by a group. In the exhibition, a site-specific structure that is made up of many “tables” combine to make a continuous surface.

The design we undertook created 56 quick, easy, and inexpensive pieces of furniture, of which 37 work as tables and 19 as stools. Together, they created an installation that filled the gallery from end to end. The combined surface had a gentle slope, as each individual surface is 1 cm taller than the previous – from 37 cm to 92 cm tall. All of the “tables” are made out of plywood that was painted a rich shade of green. Each “table” is composed of 4 planks with interlocking joints in order to make assembly and disassembly smooth and efficient, optimizing transportation, and eliminating all hardware.

Atop each table sits a works by one of 26 participating architects, with each work composed of leftover and surplus items from Storefront’s storage spaces. Patrons are invited to “buy a table” along with the work it holds and take home a fragment of the exhibition, so that the annual Storefront Gala that could not take place because of the pandemic is virtually present.