My work is about using industrial saltrock to create furniture that speak to both humans and animals. The result is a communicative furniture shaped though the interaction of man, animal and nature. I believe that this subtle interaction, which makes us feel the presence of animals, can help us reconnect with our senses and thereby create empathy for the non-human existence of life.  

In my work, I want to create conditions for an animal-inclusive design process where the salt’s ability to change is used for the purpose of design, in this case modular pieces of furniture. The location of these objects is intended to capture the attention of people. They stand out from the organic environment, white cubes surrounded by nature. The crystal from the salt reflects light, creating a piece of furniture that gives the illusion of a floating refulgent island. With time, the saltrock object will change, and during this transformation I cast off the different shapes of stages that the salt cube takes before it dissolves. 

In the urban environment, they are reinterpreted and shaped into new materials. Now still with traces of animal imprints to remind us of their distant presence. The module is assembled in shapes according to the tectonic possibilities, which is reminiscent of how the game “Tetris” form is designed. With this project, I hope to increase the volume of wilderness and nature in modern urban architecture. 

With my method of allowing animals to be involved in the design process, I have taken a step back as a designer based on a traditional design process. My intention was never to make a piece of furniture in the traditional sense, but to capture a moment of the missing connection between city and nature. 

A big challenge for me was to dare to let go of control of the expected end result, to dare to leave room for the actual imprints that the animals created without post-constructions. At the same time, there was a great excitement in letting the forms take their own expression, the uncertainty became an inspiration to dare to believe in the inherent strength of the abstract form.