Is it possible to create a piece of furniture that invites its users to discussion? This was a challenge taken up by the designers from the Kompott group. Their task is to create seats to be located in the public space, seats that will encourage their users to mutual openness and ‘pro-social’ attitudes.
The result is project FIKKA. The name of the project was inspired by an interesting tradition that the Kompott Studio has learned about during their visit in Sweden. „Fika” (with an accent on „k”) means to have a coffee that goes with some sweet snack. Fika, a social institution in Sweden, is more than just a coffee break: it's a sacred moment of a meeting with a conversation – with colleagues, in a group of friends, with family. It's practiced by all social classes and on the government level as well. It's definition is very close to the meaning of „date”.
The designers say: The word was made by reorganizing the syllables in the work kaffi – which was the XIX century version of the Swedish name for coffee. Perversity of the word as well as the direct perversity of the piece of furniture called FIKKA, appeared to us as very adequate. The primary use of the chair – for meeting and conversation recall the meaning of Swedish Fika. We added the second “k” in order to give this name a proper sound in Polish language.
The furniture can be viewed as a sociological experiment that stimulates relationships on the micro-social level. Seen from this point of view, it is an embodiment of the Congress’ motto, i.e. Art for social change.
Curator: Katarzyna Roj
Consultation: Marta Kubik
Co-organizer: BWA Wrocław
