Anarchy: Return of The Copper Age?

For more than 10,000 years, man kind has been fascinated by the properties and uses of the naturally occurring chemical element Copper. Celebrating the allure of this ductile metal is the Copper in a Box exhibition held at the 100% Design trade event this September. ‘Copper is an exciting material to work with because of its uniquely warm colouration and soft, reflective surface qualities,’ says Tom Brooksbank, an architect who founded London design studio CoWorks alongside artist Allan Collins.

MeFar Bowls by CoWorks

The exhibition focuses on the revival and reinvention of the red metal in contemporary designs presenting ways contemporary creators approach, work with and present Copper and its alloys, such as brass and bronze. Highlights at the show include a set of dazzling, geometric bowls by CoWorks, Michael Anastassiades’ Ball Vase, and the Dance Series of bronze sculptures by Hazel Reeves.

Ball Vase by Michael Anastassiades

There are also a long list of related events: Dutch designer Bart van Heesch will present his copper bicycle on Wednesday 18 September 2013; on the same day from 1 to 4:30PM, CoWorks will be available to discuss the MeFar bowls; Italian architect and designer Marco Romanelli and metallurgist and engineer Mark Tur will respectively give presentations on the way designers work with Copper and its alloy at the Eco Hub on Wednesday from 1 to 1:30PM and Friday from 4 to 4:30PM.

Dance II by Hazel Reeves

Has this captured your imagination? Is this all crying “Move over diamond!”? Find out for yourself whether it is really the return of the Copper age at the Copper in a Box exhibition at Stand L170 at 100% Design from 18 to 21 September 2013.