barricade

Product catalog summary

Concept and Artistic Vision

The "Barricade" is conceived as a large allegorical landscape that invites visitors to interact freely and intuitively. It features a barricade with a constantly evolving morphology, symbolizing a wall that encourages engagement rather than obstruction. The installation challenges contemporary tendencies to erect rigid borders between the Global South and North, inviting symbolic deconstruction of these divisions. Visitor movement dynamically shapes the space, fostering reflections on borders, exchange, and hospitality.

Materials and Dimensions

The barricade cushions are made from 100% polyester fabric (Gabriel - Rhythm) and filled with fibers. They come in four oversized sizes: large (200x100 cm), medium (150x100 cm), square (100x100 cm), and small (50x100 cm). As all products are handmade, slight variations in weight and dimensions may occur.

Exhibitions and Presentations

Biennale Movimenta Art & Technology, Les Abattoirs, Le 109, Nice (2017)
Projection of Narimane Mari's film "Le Fort des Fous" at Documenta 14, Kassel (2017)

Product Collections and Design Philosophy

Since 2003, smarin studio has developed and distributed design projects worldwide, focusing on furniture, scenography, and spatial layout. Their approach integrates design, fabrication, and distribution with an emphasis on aesthetics, sustainable materials, and appropriate production scales. Production is local and environmentally conscious, prioritizing reduced transport and packaging. Most products are designed and manufactured in France, primarily in smarin's own workshop.

The studio collaborates with architects, artists, and artisans to expand its creative scope. smarin's work explores "objects as tools" and "furniture as systems" to create collective invention spaces and inclusive interactions, encouraging new bodily gestures and therapeutic automatism.

Main Product Families

Free Elements: Iconic oversized pebble cushions (Livingstones, Colorstones), Nénuphares, and Dunes that reconnect users with bodily intuition in motion or rest.
Structuring Elements: Mobileshadows and the Play YET! construction system, enabling creation of temporary storage, evolving space partitions, and durable play areas.

Highlighted Products and Installations

The Dynamic Seat: A new way of sitting, promoting breath and interior peace through devices combining mobileshadows, shinyshadows, and a lighting intensity box for cardiac coherence exercises.
Nap Bar: A relaxing installation combining Dunes, Play YET!, Shinyshadows, and the Kairos system to encourage disconnection and recharging.
Nomadic Outdoor Furniture: Comfortable giant pebble-shaped cushions creating soothing imaginary landscapes.
Mobile Shadows: Linen or silk veils suspended freely to separate spaces or decorate windows.
Geometric Cushions: Modular cushions that assemble into seating or acoustic elements for individual or group use.
Play YET!: Lightweight, solid elements assembled without nails or screws into functional, adaptable furniture like tables, shelves, and desks.
Livingstones: Surreal oversized pebbles forming variable geometry resting areas, available in colorful versions to create soft interior landscapes.
AccA Modules: Wood and folded steel pieces transforming into libraries, coffee tables, or partitions.
Steps: Concrete block-like modular elements offering infinite flexible assemblies for body comfort.
Lighting Systems: Wooden hanging luminaires for diverse compositions from domestic to large architectural projects.

Design Collaborations

Sebastian Bergne: Magnetic stools and coffee tables that detach from walls and assemble easily.
Marco Ferreri: AccA modules combining wood and steel for multifunctional furniture.
Stéphanie Marin and Céleste Boursier-Mougenot: Steps with raw concrete block appearance.
Florent Borgna and Stéphanie Marin: Wooden hanging lighting systems.

Catalog excerpts

barricade Il pourrait s’agir d’un vaste paysage allégorique au sein duquel le visiteur pourra s’accommoder librement et intuitivement ; une barricade à la morphologie en permanente évolution, un mur auquel il est bon de se heurter. L’époque actuelle tend bien souvent à ériger des frontières étanches entre Sud et Nord, cette installation invitera chacun à les déconstruire symboliquement. C’est au gré des migrations de visiteurs que cet espace mouvant révélera sa générosité, questionnant ainsi les notions de limite, d’échange et d’hospitalité. The idea is a large allegorical landscape within which...

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barricade TISSU 100% POLYESTER Gabriel - Rhythm Les coussins sont garnis de fibres. DIMENSIONS Nos produits étant faits main, les poids et dimensions peuvent légèrement varier. moyen coussin grand coussin

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La Barricade, 2017 Biennale Movimenta Art & Technology, les Abattoirs, le 109, Nice

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La Barricade, 2017 projection du film de Narimane Mari Le Fort des Fous, Documenta 14, Kassel

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L'assise dynamique The dynamic seat, the ou la nouvelle maniere new way of sitting de s'asseoir L'objet ou I'on souffle -take a breath ! Calumet de la paix interieure The object that breaths - take a breath! Interior peace pipe Une installation asso-ciant des mobilesha-dows et shinyshadows et un boitier rythmant l'intensite lumineuse dans un exercice de coherence cardiaque. A device that completes a cardiac coherence exercise. The mobileshadows and shinyshadows have a lighting intensity box that varies the rhythm of complete breathing. Bar a sieste qui invite a faire une pause, a deconnecter...

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Systeme de table en bois, assemblage horizontal de plateaux depi-cea, dont les tranches visibles forment une combinaison aleatoire evoquant la singularite d'un relief geographique. A wooden table system horizontally assembled in different layers, visibly showing the slices of the wood, giving a geographical relief. Ensemble surrealiste de galets surdimen-sionnes et confor-tables, plage de repos a geometrie variable. A surrealistic set of oversized pebbles that inspire comfort and relaxation. Solides, legers et manipulables par tous, les elements Play YET! permettent de construire, sans clou ni...

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Les livingstones se colorent pour créer un paysage d’intérieur doux et reposant. The livingstones become even more colourful which will create a soft and bright atmosphere. Ces tabourets et tables d’appoint apparaissent comme des «images» de mobilier. Ils se décrochent du mur et s’assemblent facilement à l’aide d’aimants. Une création de Sebastian Bergne This family of stools and coffee tables start as images of generic furniture hanging on the wall. When needed, they are removed and quickly assembled using magnets. A creation by Sebastian Bergne Associant bois et acier Combining wood and replié,...

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Depuis 2003, smarin conçoit, développe et distribue des projets de design dans les domaines du mobilier, de la scénographie et de l’aménagement d’espaces, dans le monde entier. Une des singularités de smarin est son approche transversale : le studio intègre les fonctions de conception, de fabrication et de diffusion. Le processus de création s’attache autant à l’esthétique des créations qu’à la recherche de matériaux sains et à l’échelle de production la plus juste. La production en circuit court, le choix de matières durables de même qu’une réflexion constante sur la réduction des volumes de...

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Since 2003, smarin creates, develops and produces furniture design projects, scenographies and layout of spaces throughout the whole world. One of the particularities of smarin is its cross-cutting and creative approach – from design to production to distribution. Its creation process concentrates on the aesthetics of the creations, the materials used and the adequate and efficient scale of production. As the production and sourcing are both local, the selection of high-quality materials and the constant consideration of reducing packaging participate in smarin’s sustainable involvement. All...

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