FENIX® and Formica® Present FAST / FORWARD at 3daysofdesign

From June 18 to 20, during 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, FENIX® and Formica® joined forces to present FAST / FORWARD, a collaborative exhibition exploring the evolution of surface design across decades. Curated by Federica Sala, the exhibition highlighted the synergy between the two brands with a forward-looking narrative grounded in design history.

FAST / FORWARD proposed a time-travel journey through surface materials, colours, patterns, and styles. Six international design studios—Federica Biasi, Laurids Gallée, Panter&Tourron, Thabisa Mjo, Tino Seubert, and Uchronia—were each invited to reinterpret a specific decade or twenty-year span from the 1920s to the 2000s using FENIX® materials and Formica® laminates. Their creations reflected how design evolves while remaining connected to its origins.

Designed by Parco Studio and produced by the MUSA team, the exhibition guided visitors through a curated timeline—beginning in the 1920s, when Formica® high-pressure laminates first revolutionised interiors, and ending in the 2010s, a decade marked by FENIX®’s introduction of advanced surface technologies. The featured designers, selected from across Europe and South Africa, represented a diverse range of creative perspectives spanning industrial design, craftsmanship, and decorative arts.

A standout contribution came from South African designer Thabisa Mjo, Creative Director of Mash. T Design Studio. Her piece, 01000010 00110010 01000110 — Back to the Future, embraced the design heritage of the 1920s and 1930s, channelling the visual language of the Art Deco movement through a contemporary lens. Using a combination of FENIX® materials and Formica® laminates, Mjo reinterpreted the aesthetics and optimism of the era into a sculptural cabinet that modernised futurist influences and redefined the concept of progress.

The reflection on time—suggested by the title Back to the Future—became central to the piece’s interpretation. It was conceived as a functional sculpture where design, technology, and memory converged. Carefully selected surface materials emphasised contrast and interplay: Formica® Jet Sequoia and Calacatta Marble brought together bold veining and decorative richness, while FENIX® Nero Ingo and Piombo Doha contributed visual depth and a soft tactile dimension.

“In this project, I want to highlight that we are living in the future that designers in the Art Deco era imagined. Back to the Future is a functional cabinet that reflects the ideas and the style of that time through innovative materials and surfaces capable of being transformed,” said Thabisa Mjo.

Her piece embodied the spirit of FAST / FORWARD, linking past ideals with future possibilities in a powerful tribute to design’s enduring capacity for reinvention.