Godogan

Table for Friedman Benda Gallery & Droog

For once, here is a product that does not have to be made as cheaply and quickly as possible. Droog Design and the Friedman Benda Gallery in New York wanted an expensive, unique object for the famous Manhattan gallery. The result is Godogan: a table made of American walnut with a carving of an Indonesian fairytale of a frog that turns into a prince. The intricate carving was done by hand in Indonesia, where products are often made very cheaply. But in this case, the design for the carving was made as complicated as possible, with many different layers. That brought weeks of work – and fair pay – to many skilled carvers in Japara. The level of craftsmanship here is unparalleled, which is why this design could be made nowhere else. The project also offered the local craftsmen the chance to develop and use their skills in a new way. The multiple layers of Godogan go beyond the carving to the concept itself: the more paid work for these Indonesian experts, the less there is left of the tabletop. Godogan reveals the story behind the product, transcending global borders in the process.

 

"a testimony to where design could be today" - Marc Benda, Friedman Benda Gallery New York

The Making

Client: Droog & Friedman Benda Gallery New York
Year: 2006
Material: American walnut
Measurements: 260 x 90 x 75 cm
Edition: 5 tables
Permanent collection: Centraal Museum Utrecht, private collectors
Project number: 06.024