On November 5, Friedman Benda will open an expansive art exhibition called What Would Have Been. On the heels of a tumultuous and unprecedented cycle of global design events, the art gallery will share a trove of modern design from over 30 studios filled with modern artists originally destined for exhibition in galleries, fairs, and museums across five continents.

Maquette 259 / Canvas and Foam Seat, Rust (Prototype), 2020
Primed, washed canvas, upholstery foam, fabric paint
27.5 x 70.75 x 53 inches
70 x 180 x 135 cm
Edition of 8

The Dream (Chandelier), 2020
Polished bronze, frosted glass, light fittings
167 x 25 x 100 cm (variable)

Untitled, 2020
Glass
13.5 x 7.5 x 7.5 inches
34.3 x 19.1 x 19.1 cm
What Would Have Been curated by Friedman Benda shows us what we have been missing and points forward; it fills in the blank spaces, offers a new direction, and represents a coming together of voices. The show tells a story of design that juxtaposes established designers with newcomers without predictability from either and prompts a re-examination of assumptions consistent with current events at large.

Wave Buffet, 2016
Brushed stainless steel, felt, EVA
27.5 x 78.75 x 15.75 inches
70 x 200 x 40 cm
Edition of 8

afterimage of beginning 018-511, 2018
White marble, natural stone
19.25 x 31 x 19.5 inches, each
49 x 79 x 50 cm, each
See Also: Mattia Bonetti’s Murano Collection Showcasing at David Gill Gallery

One More Time, 2019
Ceramic, cotton
45 x 12 x 12 inches
114.3 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm
The exhibition makes an accessible furniture design that lost its intended platform, works shown briefly before museum doors closed or failed to open at all in Atlanta, Ghent, Melbourne, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Shanghai, Wiltshire, and further; works commissioned for festivals and art fairs including the London Biennale, TEFAF, The Salon, Design Miami Basel; and works that were slated for the gallery in Chelsea before the New York art community shutdown.

Materialized Sketch of a Round-Back Chair (Black), 2005
Thermoplastic powder
30.08 x 18.54 x 19.29 inches
76.4 x 47.1 x 49 cm
Unique

Untitled, c. 1990’s
Stoneware
Various dimensions

Remolten N1: Monolita Chair 15, Quitralco, Osorno Volcano, April 23rd, 2019
Stoneware structure, volcanic lava
33 x 17.75 x 23.5 inches
84 x 45 x 60 cm

frame 04, 2019
Stainless steel
39 x 63 x 54.5 inches
99 x 160 x 138 cm
Consistent with the period that inspired it, What Would Have Been by Friedman Benda takes place not only in the gallery but also online, marking the tension and dialogue between these two spaces.
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See Also: Friedman Benda Presents The First US Solo Art Exhibition Of OrtaMiklos