This post first appeared on Elle
Solange Knowles & IKEA: A Collaboration That We Didn’t Expect
This is what we know about this seemingly unlikely partnership that is set to take the world of design by storm.
What is Ikea? A renowned Swedish furniture and design retailer at the forefront of innovation. You ought to know who Solange is, but for context, she’s a singer-songwriter turned multi-disciplinary artist through performance pieces and collaborations via her web platform and retail space, Saint Heron. The inimitable singer is best known for her eclectic fashion sense and unusual performances whilst IKEA has crossed-over into pop culture/fashion on several occasions with collaborations including Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh and many more.
Virgil Abloh and IKEA “first home must-haves” for students and other young people. Via Dezeen
Saint Heron x IKEA: Objects, Space, Architecture
The Saint Heron- Ikea collaboration explores “architectural and interior design objects with multifunctional use” which could literally mean that we can expect anything from tables to cushions. What is most fascinating about this partnership is that both IKEA and Solange are synonymous with going against the grain so though the collabo is unexpected, it makes sense.
Solange set the tone for the artistic direction her brand was going in after releasing her Grammy-winning album, A Seat At The Table.
The performances that followed were unlike any we’ve ever seen before. Most noted was the interpretive song and dance performance at the Guggenheim in March 2017. “An ode to” set a precedent for a musician of her calibre, using art, performance and history in a considered way.
Knowles is also no stranger to art world politics and has voiced her opinion on the lack of diversity when it comes to public art spaces.
Image: Solange performing “Ode to”.
“I don’t care much about the institutions….tear the got damn walls down.”
Following the performance at the Guggenheim, Solange put together yet another visually compelling feast, “Scales”, an instrumental choreographed performance in front of a Cy Twombly painting. This and her future performances recognized late artists of colour whose work got caught between museums and their “racial bias.”
Solange debuted “Scales” at the Menil Collection in Houston, TX in April 2017. Image © Saint Heron, courtesy of Enmi Yang, Cary Fagan, & Pérez Art Museum Miami.
Knowles cemented her presence in the art world with a performance in front of the artist, Donald Judd’s installation `’15 Untitled Works in Concrete ” in Marfa, Texas.
Donald Judd’s 15 untitled works in concrete (1980–1984). Photo © Chinati Foundation and Donald Judd.
And she keeps going, this year Metronia, a minimalist art installation and performance she creative directed, really showed off her limitless depth as an artist and musician.
A woman of many firsts, we certainly can’t wait to see what she cooks up with Ikea.
