After having already covered Bless’s brilliantly titled Lobby Conquerors from afar, we were thrilled to cover it in person when they brought Lobby Conquerors to New York City to be installed at the Mathew Gallery. “Lobby Conquerors” aka Bless #60, is the Paris/Berlin design entity’s collaboration with the eminent furniture company Artek.

Originally displayed in the lobby of the Chicago Cultural Center as a part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Lobby Conquerors comes to New York in time for Fashion Week. This shift from an architectural to a fashion context is appropriate for Bless, which was created by Desiree Heiss and Ines Kaag who were originally trained as fashion designers, but have branched out wherever their passions see fit. The fashion influence is clear in the Lobby Conquerors furnishings, which are often decked out in a furry Duchamp-y way.

Bless’s visit to New York also gives us a chance to visit in person and see the locals mingling with the work. Some Ravelin favorites Olimpia photographed at Matthew Gallery include Lydia Rodrigues and Daphne Correll of Correll Correll. We also get a chance to see how the Bless pieces, which can often seem to be strictly objets d’art, are definitely available for use as furniture. As you can see if you check out the images, they are extremely fun to sit on.