The 21st Annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) welcomed more than 600 exhibitors (May 16-19, 2009). The range of products was as diverse as the origins of the designers that spanned Australia to Botswana, Norway to the good old USA.

The 145,000 square feet of exhibition space at New York's Javits Center provided one-stop shopping for interior and architectural professionals offering an eclectic selection of titles in the bookstore, displays of student projects from top design programs, and lectures from industry innovators.

One new addition was the Japan Pavilion, an enormous space set off from the main area. The exhibition "Japan by Design" featured 17 Japanese companies aiming to "communicate to audiences worldwide the concept of 'Kansei value,' which combines the monozukuri (manufacturing) spirit found in Japanese design and products with the art of monogatari (story telling), the basis behind monozukuri."

Scenes from the show:

A view into the main hall.

Perusing titles at the ICFF Bookstore.

The Maryland Institute College of Art "MICA" display of student work.

A woman checks out "Metamorphosis" by Sukmo Koo and Young Taek Oh, a light shade made of egg cartons. The design was included in Pratt Institute's "Design for a Dollar" student display.

Showing off their wares in the designboom MART, a juried selection of goods chosen by designboom.com and ICFF.

Andy Warhol would approve.

The stunning "Phenomena" by Sang Hoon Kim, a 2009 graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art. "Light is always moving and, due to reflection, refraction and shadow, leaves behind a fantastic impression," says Kim.

Another view of "Phenomena."

A freestanding, fluid partition made of modular softwall and softblock with integrated LED lighting by Molo.

More partitions by Molo.

Japan by Design

Sperm like shapes swam across several screens circling the Japan by Design pavilion.

Originally published June 18, 2009