Reflections of now

This project draws inspiration from childhood memories shaped by close family, viewed through a kaleidoscopic lens. The multifaceted mirror panels and octagonal shape of the pavilion echo the way these memories evolve over time, reflecting our journeys through life. Just as memories can often be blurry, so too is the effect created by a kaleidoscope—an arrangement of crystals and colors that transforms with each shift in perspective. When someone else looks through the same kaleidoscope, they perceive an entirely different view, even though they are gazing at the same crystals.

As we adjust the position of the kaleidoscope, our perspective shifts, revealing new interpretations of familiar shapes and hues. This project employs semi-transparent, colored objects resembling prismatic gems to capture how these memories exist in our minds—pieces that embody both clarity and blur, much like the kaleidoscopic experience.
Drawing inspiration from the crystal designs of the 1960s, this collection reflects a fascination with prismatic forms and textures. Each piece, infused with a unique interplay of light and color, pays tribute to craftsmanship that transcends generations. Ultimately, this collection serves as an exploration of memory, with each object acting as a layered reflection of the clear and hazy moments that connect us to our past.

Eleni Petaloti and Leonidas Trampoukis are a duo behind the studio Objects of Common Interest, working within the realm of art, design, and architecture, blending projects in scale from objects and installations to interactive immersive environments and interior spaces. They are also founding partners of the sibling studio LOT office for architecture, and they are based between New York and Athens.

Their work has been exhibited at art and design institutions, galleries, and fairs–including solo shows at the Noguchi Museum, Etage Projects, Carwan Gallery, Architecture Biennale, and the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Their work allows various kinds of collaboration such as the partnership with Kvadrat to produce the object/installation Doric Column–Kinetic Object, and public installations such as the project Lights On, which was commissioned by Cultural Capital of Italy 2023. Objects of common interest were formed with the focus on creating still-life installations and experiential environments and objects, demonstrating a fixation with materiality, concept, and tangible spatial experiences. The work roots from an amalgamation of thinking and making between two diverse poles, Greece and New York. Objects of Common Interest were among the judges for Wallpaper* Design Awards for 2023. In the year 2022, they were named ‘Designers of the year’ and won the Wallpaper* Design award 2022. For the last two consecutive years, they have been honorees for the AD100 list 2022 of the top designers and architects and they also won the design prize 2021 for experimentation by Designboom Awards. Their work has been widely featured in the press including The Wall Street Journal, TMagazine, Wallpaper*, Elle Decor, Surface Magazine, Architectural Digest, FRAME, and PHAIDON publishers.