"I love fresh ideas about everything". Adriana Siso founded her contemporary industrial design store in 2002 in Santa Fe, NM. With a background in Fine Arts, Adriana has been an innovator, bringing to the Santa Fe area, original and unique industrial design products by some of the most creative design firms in the world.
The first design partners Molecule worked with were Vitra Design Museum, Moooi, Cherner Chair, and other well-known national and international brands. Today it partners with other world-class manufacturers like Vondom, Loll Designs and Moroso.
Molecule operated out of a recycled and renovated shipping container building, the first of its kind in Santa Fe. Currently Molecule is available through the online store and by appointment.
Sustainability is an important area of interest and ongoing exploration for Molecule, which offers product lines with a focus on conservation and ecological stewardship. A recent alliance with the Vertical Aeroponic Growing System – Tower Garden, promises to offer a lot of inspiration in the growing field of aeroponics as the future of agriculture, industrial design at its best.
Through the year Molecule organizes multiple art and design events through the Art Meets Design series.
Ground Work is the alliance of 2 local installation artists and one flower arrangement designer. They come together to share their talents and skills. The sculpture and installation by Matthew Chase-Daniel and Cheri Ibes is inspired by nature and the New Mexico desert landscape. Mai Wakisaka is from Osaka, Japan, and will be showing her Ikebana arrangements, Mai will also be doing an in-site presentation.
Ikebana is the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging. The name comes from the Japanese ike, meaning ‘alive’ or ‘arrange’ and bana meaning ‘flower.’ The practice of using flowers as offerings in temples originated in the seventh century when Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from China and Korea, but the formalized version of Ikebana didn’t begin until the Muromachi period around the 15th or 16th century. These arrangements have since become more secular, displayed as art forms in people’s homes. However, Ikebana is seen as more than just decorative, it is a spiritual process that helps one develop a closeness with nature and merge the indoors and outdoors.
Opening Reception:
Friday, March 27th, 5-7pm/free
Juice Tasting by RASA Juice Bar/Ayurveda
Matthew Chase-Daniel elegantly retraces the traditional practices of gathering, weaving, and making by hand. He uses branches and twigs from the local landscape to make large-scale, bold and sensuous forms suggestive of pods, hives and other structures found in nature.
Cheri Ibes works with a variety of materials. Her installation at Molecule is inspired by the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging. Using the conventional flower vase as a starting point, she presents an unconventional arrangement.
Mai Wakisaka is a teacher of the art of Japanese flower arranging (ikebana). She has previously taught at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, AZ, and will soon offer a class at the University of New Mexico extension program in Albuquerque.
