From 14 to 19 March 2026, as part of TEFAF Maastricht, one of the most influential art and antiques fairs on the international scene, the Friedman Benda gallery will present Formation, an exhibition project conceived by the Italian design studio Formafantasma. The proposal takes the form of a monographic stand that transforms the space into an immersive environment where past and present dialogue through contemporary design.
Founded in 2009 by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Formafantasma is renowned for its investigative approach to design, focusing on the ecological, historical, political and social dimensions that shape the discipline. In Formation, the studio continues its exploration of everyday furniture archetypes and the changing relationship between domestic objects and those who inhabit them.
The collection presented in Maastricht is made primarily of cherry wood and starts from the most basic unit of cabinetmaking: the plank. From this fundamental component, each piece investigates the tension between the familiar and the contemporary, giving rise to a set of essential forms that reinterpret tradition from a contemporary perspective.
The project draws inspiration from various historical and philosophical references in design. These include the Shaker community and key figures such as Frank Lloyd Wright and George Nakashima, whose approaches to working with wood, utility and the spirituality of the object resonate in the proposal. In the collection, the warmth of cherry wood dialogues with brushed aluminium elements and rectangular LED panels, whose proportions evoke the screens of contemporary digital devices.
With a deliberately restrained aesthetic, the stand proposes a domestic space defined more by reflection than spectacle. Through recognisable typologies and extreme attention to detail, Formafantasma articulates its own language that connects craft tradition, technology and contemporary thinking.
With Formation, the studio does not seek to imitate or reject history, but rather to expand upon it. The result is a proposal that highlights how contemporary design can reinterpret material and cultural heritage to open up new perspectives within the international art and collectible design market.
