This limited edition stool was designed by Formafantasma following their exhibition Cambio at the Serpentine Galleries. Like all display and seating in the exhibition, made from a single tree blown over in a storm in northern Italy in 2018, this stool is also made of pinus abies. Contained in every piece of wood is an archive of climatic change and the movement of natural materials around the world.

Cambio, from the medieval Latin cambium, ‘change, exchange’, is an ongoing investigation conducted by Formafantasma into the governance of the timber industry. The evolution of this form of commerce over time, and its tentacular expansion across the globe, has made it difficult to regulate. It grew out of the bioprospecting that took place throughout colonial territories during the nineteenth century, becoming one of the largest industries in the world both in terms of the revenue it generates and the impact it has on the planet’s biosphere.

This multidisciplinary exhibition highlights the crucial role that design can play in our environment, and its responsibility to look beyond the edges of its borders as a discipline. The future of design can and must attempt to translate emerging environmental awareness into a renewed understanding of the philosophy and politics of trees that will encourage informed, collaborative responses.

Ciourtesy of Serpentine Galleries