Border as Producer of Design

After a series of field trips to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave that borders Morocco, Rifaï became fascinated by how objects travelled through the territory. Ceuta is a tax-free zone, meaning goods can be imported and exported without paying duties. Thousands of domestic workers from Morocco cross the Spanish–Moroccan border to sell goods there, often in precarious conditions.

This bench is from a collection that Rifaï designed to explore the multiple identities clustered at the border. It shows how objects bear witness to the context in which they are exchanged.

Designed by Ismaël Rifaï.