A taxonomy of nails, screws, rivets, bolts and nuts
2019, ECAL, Lausanne
U-Joints – A taxonomy of nails, screws, rivets, bolts and nuts is the second exhibition, dedicated to very basic fasteners, 192 common examples of nails, screws, rivets, bolts and nuts, alongside products created by 20 international designers and a new taxonomy diagram created just for U-Joints. Taxonomy is the science of describing, identifying, naming and classifying organisms. The Taxonomy of Joints traces the macrocosm of joinery in furniture and product design today. Starting from the most common production techniques, the structure creates a genealogical tree that is divided into four families, twenty subfamilies and a still-to-be-defined number of individualjoints. Much like that of an organism, the Taxonomy of Joints can grow or change its form: it is a work in progress.
The taxonomy on display was graphically developed by British design studio Graphic Thought Facility.
Featured joint projects by Massimiliano Adami, Ron Arad/Vitra, Camille Blin, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec/Magis, Joschua Brunn/UTIL, Thilo Brunner and Jörg Mettler, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Janez Cestnik/Aereform, Thomas Edison, Konstantin Grcic/Magis, Levi Strauss, Vico Magistretti/DePadova, Enzo Mari, Ingo Maurer, Noah Guitars, Jasper Morrison/Alessi, Marc Newson, Gio Ponti/Olivari, Saara Renvall, Paul Schärer and Fritz Haller/USM, Swatch, Industrial joints by Berardi Bulloneria, Biopsybell, Climbing Technology, Colombo, Dialmedicali, Immediate Load, Mero Italiana, Mondial Horse Nails, North-Lock, Officina Bonacina, Parravicini, Poggipollini, Pro-Bolt, Rivit, Sariv, Stil Group, Tecom Implantology, Titanmed, Univiti, Viteria Fusani
Special thanks to Janez Cestnik/Aereform, Alessi, Sandro Bolzoni, DePadova, Fondazione Vico Magistretti, Sam Hecht, Magis, Sally McGrane, Noah Guitars, Swatch, USM, UTIL, Vitra Design Museum, Zanotta
© Calypso Mahieu