06 May 2009

The Digitalia Collection

The Abet Laminati 'Digitalia' Collection: A perception game by Karim Rashid.

The ‘Digitalia’ Collection has been designed by Karim Rashid for ABET LAMINATI. The new collection of 28 digitally printed décors complement ABET’s already extensive range of unique decorative High Pressure Laminate.

‘Aquatik, ‘Bleep’, ‘Morph’ and ‘Replicant’ – to name just a few – the ‘Digitalia’ collection’s names are an insight into their design: bright, colourful designs that create captivating optical illusions.

Rashid believes design is influenced by a multitude of factors, from human experience to social behaviours, economic and political problems and the interaction between mind and body.

With the same fervour slapping traditionalism as in Marinetti’s “Manifesto of Futurism”, Karim declares: “if human nature is to live in the past, to change the world is to change human nature”.

Dubbed the “Poet of Plastic” by Time Magazine Rashid presents designs with strong impressions, shapes, images, signs, lights and colours in an attempt to “to arouse feelings and emotions”.

Alessandro Mendini states it well: “Rashid puts forth a world generated and defined completely from within; a self-referential invention. It is a visual globe with a high concentration of energy, developed on a weave of multiple expressive alphabets.”

Karim Rashid’s new collection ‘Digitalia’ is available from ABET LAMINATI.

abet.com.au