H2O Waste Paper Bin

Konstantin GrcicWW-1994-092878

1994·Polypropylene·34 × 35 × 35 cm (13 × 14 × 14 in.)

<p>Square Wastepaper Bin was the first in a series of products made for the German manufacturer Authentics. The project gave Grcic the opportunity to experiment with plastic, a material that enabled him to create his earliest industrially made designs for mass production. He conceived Square Wastepaper Bin as a round base with square sides and a hole cut out on one side for a handle. The 2-Hands Laundry Basket, the next design in this family of quotidian products, is slightly oversized, yet lightweight and durable, with a seamless elegance that sets it apart from other such designs. The H20 Wastepaper Bin derived from Grcic’s desire to make subtle adjustments to the commonplace object by adding a lid and rim at the top and bottom of the piece. For the Tip Wastepaper Bin, Grcic enlarged the hinge mechanism that opens and closes the lid to prevent it from breaking with use. Through a disciplined process of research and design development, Grcic was thus able to introduce a range of products that respond to basic human needs.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1994
Medium: Polypropylene
Dimensions: 34 × 35 × 35 cm (13 × 14 × 14 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Konstantin Grcic

Artist

Konstantin Grcic

Konstantin Grcic is a German industrial designer working primarily in furniture, lighting, and tableware since the 1990s. His practice is characterized by a rigorous exploration of form and material constraint, where minimal aesthetic intervention meets functional precision. His work has been produced by leading manufacturers including Flos, Magis, and Kartell, and is held in the permanent collections of major design museums including MoMA and the Vitra Design Museum. Grcic's approach treats industrial production not as a limitation but as a fundamental generator of form.

Munich, Germany

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