PLAY DATE OBJECTS
Melanie Gloria Wisser
HFG Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design
During my training as a carpenter, I worked extensively with laminated particleboard, a common material valued for being affordable, lightweight, and durable despite its poor reputation. For PLAY DATE, its simple construction became a deliberate choice: while the objects are structurally inspired by playgrounds, their forms, design, and use give the otherwise ordinary material a distinct character. In this way, an everyday material becomes a carrier of playful narratives. PLAY DATE explores how purposeless, non-competitive play can be rediscovered in adulthood, challenging the idea that playgrounds are spaces exclusively for children. Through experimental playgrounds, playful interventions in bars and urban spaces, and temporary objects, the project investigates how play can be integrated into everyday life and create new social and spatial interactions.