Friedman Benda is pleased to present “gt2P: Manufactured Landscapes,” the Chilean collective’s first solo gallery exhibition and a culmination of their four-year research project and collaboration with Friedman Benda. Emerging as pioneers of contemporary craft, gt2P combine digital production with traditional techniques driven by their cultural heritage.

Harvesting from Chile’s chain of 2,000 volcanoes, the second largest and most active in the world, gt2P’s widely acclaimed series features a sculptural manipulation of re-molten petrified lava. Originating from their parametric physical methodology (paracrafting) research project, Remolten demonstrates gt2P’s constant interaction of process and material. A series that continues to evolve, Remolten has been the antecedent of the Less CPP N2: Lava vs. Porcelain lighting project as well as the genesis of a broad range of applications. Remolten was recently nominated for London Design Museum’s Beazley Design of the Year award in 2017 and is now held in key museum collections worldwide.

Imaginary Geographies is informed by the topography of the Andes mountain range. Derived from recordings of naturally occurring mountain winds, gt2P parametrically transform the sound compositions into three-dimensional visualizations. The manifestation of this practice is a coffee table and credenza with geographical maps of the Andes recreated in their carved wooden surfaces. An homage to the recently deceased Chilean poet Nicanor Parra, this series incorporates the pentameter from "El Hombre Imaginario,” referring to the natural landscape as an illusionary, metaphysical reflection of the self. Parra writes: “the imaginary man, lived in an imaginary house, in the midst of imaginary trees on the bank of an imaginary river.” With Imaginary Geographies, a symbiosis of source and material, gt2P rebuild the mountain range that shaped Chilean culture and serve as a metaphor for memory and identity.

With the Suple series, gt2P explore spatial concepts through inventive bounding forms. The title is an allusion to Chilean builders’ slang for an element that brings together disparate components into a functional structure. Sculptural wooden freestanding multifunctional works, at first glance a table and shelf, transform according to one’s interactions allowing for intimate encounters. Expanding on Suple’s theme of unique assemblages, gt2P re-envision their native tree trunks and branches as axes of a hanging light fixture. A monumental architectural bench made from bronze and stainless steel is the collective’s largest work to date.

gt2P (Great Things to People) is a Chilean design, architecture, and art studio founded in 2009. gt2P has been featured in numerous international museum exhibitions, including: The Design Museum, London (2017-2018); National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017); Henan Museum, China (2017); MAXXI Museo Nazionale Delle Arti Del XXI Secolo, Rome (2017), Bellevue Arts Museum (2016), and the Museum of Art and Design, New York (2014). The Remolten series will be featured in the upcoming Raw Design exhibition at the Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco opening in June. gt2P’s work is held in permanent collections worldwide such as the Denver Art Museum, Colorado and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. The collective is current situated in Santiago, Chile.