Focus: Design, Technology, Circularity

Introducing the Kelp Collection. Interesting Times Gang introduces a vision of what can be achieved with large-scale 3D-printed furniture made of recycled fishing nets.

Human existence is deeply dependent on our oceans and their lifeforms. Yet every year thousands of fishing nets are discarded into the depths of the Baltic Sea and the surrounding bodies of water. These ghost nets continue to cause death and destruction for fish and sea life for decades afterwards. What if these nets would become a valuable resource and not end up in the ocean in the first place?

Interesting Times Gang used a material that combines recycled fishing nets with wood fiber, a recycled FSC-certified bi-product from the saw mill industry in Sweden and a part of Stora Ensos bio-composite offering. To create 3D-printed designs that can stay within the same material ecosystem once they reach the end of their life-cycle. These objects can be ground down to create new bio-materials that can be reused again and again, to create entirely new objects within a closed design loop.

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Kelp Collection is inspired by biomimicry with undulating lines and organically swaying silhouettes to emulate the forms found in ocean vegetation. A process made possible by the latest advances in 3D-printing technology and material development.

The furniture, originally commissioned by two-star Michelin chefs Niclas Jönsson and Daniel Höglander and Custom designed for their new venture, a sushi restaurant concept, Black Milk Sushi, located in the heart of Stockholm, and opening in Spring 2022.

With their new concept they wanted something out of the ordinary, something that hadn’t been seen before, and the pressure on Interesting Times Gang to deliver a design to such perfectionists was on.

The result is “Kelp Collection”, a furniture series created to bring attention to the fact that vast amounts of known underwater kelp forests have been eradicated due to unsustainable fishing practices and rising ocean temperatures (Kelp removes as much CO2 per hectare, as 20 hectares of trees).

Apart from the restaurant opening this spring, The “Kelp Chair” has been selected to be part of Stockholm Furniture & Light Fairs exhibition “Around the corner” - A circular inspiration exhibition presenting a selection of cross-industry innovations. We were obviously very humbled to be asked to exhibit our work in such a prestigious company. Unfortunately the fair in September 2022 has been postponed, but ITG participated in the digital Design Talks during Design Week in February 2022, discussing 3D printing in design.

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