A collaboration between Duffy DeArmas and Stefan Hofmann, Electric Coffin is supported by a team of talented designers, project managers, and fabricators to really make this super deluxe art machine purr. Exploring the intersection of art and commerce, they are fueled by a number of sources. Both material and ephemeral, these sources encompass knowledge, culture, and the physical remains of industry, mass production, communication, and commerce. They represent the highs and lows of human achievement–the sacred and the profane. They together create the combustible admixture that manifest into large-scale projects, installations, and objects. Our interview with Stefan Hofmann, on behalf of Electric Coffin, delves into their practice, inspirations, and recent victories.
Q: What does BALANCE mean to you when you think about design?
SH: Both a visual and conceptual symmetry.
Q: What design / social trends (past or present) inspire your practice?
SH: Good design is timeless and resonates beyond cultural or social boundaries. Social equity is a driver, rather than trends.
Q: How do you explain what you do for a living?
SH: At the core, I make art. This involves wrestling with materials and concepts, taking ongoing leaps of faith, and a kind of manic perseverance.
Q: What are your go-to’s for when you’re seeking inspiration?
SH: For me, stillness and nature is where I derive my inspiration from. That said, inspiration may come from anything I come across in my daily life. I would argue it’s a state of mind not an inspiration.
Q: Tell us about a project that you worked on that you are most proud of.
SH: Recently, we had a solo art show in Hong Kong Art Central. We sold most of the work in a place we’d never been before without any big marketing pushes or PR. This is validating because it shows the work speaks for itself.
Q: If you were to give a TED talk , what would it be about? What’s your “idea worth spreading”?
SH: I would talk about the problem we face with the shift towards mass consumerism and the addiction we are creating to technology and screens. We are capable of so much more than just selling each other things.
Q: My favorite thing about my city is…
SH: Its past.
Q: What is your super power?
SH: Getting back up.
Learn more about Stefan and Duffy’s work:
Website – electriccoffin.com
Instagram – @electriccoffin
Email – dreamers@electriccoffin.com
PLUS, don’t miss Electric Coffin’s exhibit up in the Design in Public gallery space, Sponsored by DLR Group and Copiers Northwest. More info at https://seadesignfest.org/exhibitions/discover-disrupt/