O
pen Lab II: Evolving Systems was a project curated by Chiara Ferrari for 110 Mallorca, an exhibition space in a former factory in the industrial town of Inca. The exhibition took place on June 20-21 and featured four projects by Mallorca-based designers and artists that explored ideas of collaboration, experimentation and new systems of making. Since renovating an old shoe factory nearly six years ago, Ferrari has used the downstairs space for events and exhibitions, including the first edition of Open Lab I, in 2024, and the Paradise of Chairs, in 2025. Ferrari, who studied industrial design at the Polytechnic Institute in Milan, worked for prestigious firms including Piero Lissoni and Zaha Hadid, and has worked as a professor at ArtCenter School of Design in Los Angeles. As the organizer and curator of Open Lab II: Evolving Systems, at 110 Inca, Ferrari finds a creative outlet in bringing people together to collaborate and to challenge them to think differently about their practice. Evolving Systems is about pushing yourself, even if you aren’t ready, taking risks, being open to failure, surprise and new connections. As she explains, “my role [for this project] is to connect people, give the brief, give feedback. And for me, it's the greatest joy to challenge people to do something that they haven't done before, you know, it is energizing to see the creativity and to see these connections.”
Among the four projects were a new set of lighting fixtures, a new system of seating made from repurposed concrete tiles, a collaborative dining table and an experimental zine. The lighting was developed by Isla architects, furniture and product designers, Resmes, and Raquel Buj, a textile artist whose practice is deeply connected to material research. While Isla and Resemes collaborated two years ago on As Found, a furniture collection for Open Lab I, this was a new dimension for the two, with the addition of Raquel. Building on Raquel’s exploration of bioplastics and using natural materials such as plants and herbs to create experimental fabrics they designed a ceiling lamp using metal tubes and fluorescent lights, over which the ‘fabric’ was placed to soften the light. Minimalist and organic at the same time, the idea is that clients can choose their own landscape – whether posedonia, almonds, or rosemary.
