200grs

Rana Haddad and Pascal Hachem are fascinated with the city as an object, an urban-scale installation, and as an industrial design project. This led them to co-found "200Grs" in 2013. The studio's bespoke pieces bring into play the craftsmanship and artisanal skill on offer in Lebanon that are at risk of disappearing. Their vision involves challenging constraints and adapting exisiting know-how as a way to positively fuel, propel and keep our city, Beirut, alive. They grew up in a city that taught them to live one day at a time and to appreciate its value. Their products are made in the same manner: to allow each person to bond with every piece and simply make it part of their everyday life. 200Grs. deals with notions of scale and genuineness in order to produce unique pieces serving a multitude of miscellaneous functions. These notions, along with a calculated balance of handwork and machinery, produce objects with an inherent sense of authenticity that is fully explored once the pieces reach their end users. Fitting into a larger discourse of thought that has been present in both of the creators work, 200Grs. showcases functional, candid and sober architectural items all the while dealing with concepts of materiality, elasticity, tensions and balance. Accordingly, 200Grs. embodies a discourse of dialogue between its creators and its end users, allowing each object to create unique ergonomic and emotional relationships with its future owner. What distinguishes 200Grs. is the way they appropriate a ready-made, in the same manner, as they tend to give a different life to a very commonly used object.

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