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LISTENING ROOM
DEVON OJAS + WILLO PERRON
CAPSULE Global
Milan Design Week 2023
18TH APR 2023 - 23RD APR 2023
With the ocassion of Milan Design Week, SIDE GALLERY introduced New York-based “speaker sculptor” Devon Turnbull, founder of highend audio company OJAS, who presented an all-new, handmade sound system and a purpose-built acoustically-considered space. Besides this, a largescale “Sausage Sofa” by Los Angeles-based designer Willo Perron, custom made in Kvadrat textile completed the installation presented at Capsule Globale (Spazio Maiochi), creating a sound room and enable the public to fully immerse in the listening experience.
Born in Montreal, Willo Perron has gained worldwide recognition for his work as a creative director and designer, specializing in audiovisual content, video production and design. He's known for creating solid concepts and unique realizations that catch the eye. After working at Apple, he founded his company, Willo Perron and Associates. His multidisciplinary studio, Perron-Roettinger, which he co-founded with Brian Roettinger, has worked for brands such as Adidas and Stussy, and their designs have been showcased at numerous international fairs. Recently, their "Sausage" sofa was exhibited at Capsule Global, Spazio Maiochi during Milan Design Week 2023, alongside Devon Turnbull's work.
Perron's designs are recognized for their use of scale, simplicity of forms and the use of space, which plays a crucial role in shaping the final form of his designs. He has worked on various audiovisual projects for high-profile artists like Kanye West (including the creation of Yeezy Studio and the staging of his live shows), Lady Gaga, and Rihanna, among others. His studio's work is strongly influenced by Bauhaus thinking, approaching each project from a total art perspective, where all disciplines are involved in the final product, from industrial design to marketing.
In 2024, Perron will participate in the World Sports Creativity Sessions program during the Paris Olympic Games, which will reinforce the hybrid vision of design's importance to the progress and influence of the sports industry.
Devon Turnbull, also known as Devon Ojas, started his career in 1999 with a brand that shares his name. His latest project, the Listening Room, was showcased at Milan Design Week 2023. This installation was first exhibited at the Lisson Gallery in New York during the 2022 collective exhibition The odds are good, the goods are odd.
Devon considers his designs to be "sound sculptures" and they are all part of his personal brand, Ojas. His creative influences stem from various artistic movements, including visual arts, fashion design, and urban graffiti. In a Resistor Magazine interview, he revealed that he used to see his visual art and audio work as two separate entities, but now he sees them as one creative vision that has guided him throughout his career.
Devon's travels to Asia and Paris have greatly influenced his creative vision, leading him to create sound sculptures such as his favorite Turntable, the Garrard 301, and other models such as the Rek O Kut, Ortofon RF297, Ortofon RMG309, SME 3012R, Gray 108, and various MC transformers such as the Altec 4722, Altec 15095, Triad HS1, Siemens T 41/15 C, Harman Kardon XT3, and the OJAS Single Ended 2A3 power amplifiers.
All of Devon's creations are deeply rooted in the art of listening, which he learned from his family during childhood meditation sessions. His Listening Rooms aim to democratize good sound and make it accessible to everyone. His meticulous work, not only in the final design but also in the electronic components, ensures a unique listening experience. Now, his sound sculptures marked by pure sound and aesthetic simplicity can also be found together with Perron's designs, will form part of the SIDE Gallery's impressive collection of iconic designs.