Keren Oertly, Wrapped Table (FURNITURE 2025)

Photos:

Daniel Allen Studio

Country

New Zealand

Wrapped Table is a sculptural table that follows a throughline from the tradition of the Stammtisch, or meeting table, which is a regular feature in community settings in eastern Switzerland. A Stammtisch offers a place for people to assemble and discuss politics, philosophy and local matters, often debating and organising around important issues. Conflating object and ritual, a Stammtisch offers a space and opportunity for the airing of views to build consensus and renew community spirit through shared action. Likewise, this table seeks to offer a welcome space for gathering and connection, around which new traditions might accumulate and develop. Like a small piece of architecture, this work seeks to cross different spatial thresholds, bringing assorted materials into conversation, and proposing a kind of reorienting object. Sourcing all materials from local suppliers in Whakatū Nelson, Aotearoa New Zealand, the production of the work celebrates community cooperation. The corrugated exterior, achieved through labour intensive hand routing, provides both a texture detail alluding to the process of wrapping, and a meditation on the preservation of the things we value in times of flux and transience. Keren acknowledges the support provided by Arts Council Nelson, the Centre for Fine Woodworking, David Haig, Lou Fuller, Make Furniture, Kelvin Atkinson, Alison Oertly and Michael Ryan in the production of this work.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.