The Latvian design exhibition 89th Second at Expo 2025 Osaka invites visitors to think about climate and responsibility through different interpretations of one of our national symbols — the pine tree. Studio Sarmīte is presenting the PineSkins pouf, a functional yet sculptural object covered with scales made from innovative softened pine bark material. With this work, designer Sarmīte Poļakova encourages both an alternative production paradigm in the wood industry and reimagining our relationships with the forest.
Have forests become factories for timber? Sarmīte Poļakova, founder of Studio Sarmīte, points out that pine trees are the main source of timber in the world. In Europe alone, more than 600 million pine trees are cut down every year. However, almost half of each tree — the bark, needles, and thinner branches — is discarded as waste. The PineSkins material developed by Sarmīte rethinks the wasted potential of pine bark, offering an alternative production paradigm for the timber industry that shifts the focus from efficiency to diversity.
PineSkins is a versatile, leather-like material made from the inner bark of pine trees. It is harvested from freshly cut trees and then treated with a biological softening liquid and natural wax. The resulting material can be used for various interior design solutions, including as an alternative to veneer. It is available in a range of colours — from earth brown to pink, from dark terracotta to ash gray. Up to ten square metres of PineSkins can be obtained from a single tree, and Sarmīte invites us to look at this figure on a global scale.
The PineSkins pouf not only encourages new practices in the timber industry but also views forest resources in a broader context, prompting us to rethink our relationship with the forest. The sculptural object blurs the boundaries between functional furniture and artefact, its form reminiscent of both a tree stump and an abstract relief. The design of the pouf was inspired by Imants Ziedonis’ Green Fairytale, which tells the story of the forest coming to the city. The poet writes: «The forest kept coming, coming, with so many blossoms and leaves that noises soon were overgrown with moss. Soft and velvety at first, they still scampered about, but then they got heavier and heavier, until they fell down, green and silent as knolls in the forest. Just as the forest overtakes the city, Sarmīte has covered the pouf with more than 2000 PineSkins scales.
About 89th Second
Studio Sarmīte’s PineSkins pouf can be viewed at the Latvian design exhibition 89th Second alongside the Freckle Chair by Gateris Works, which is the designers’ tribute to «lower-grade» wood, and the Sky-Set ligh by Dace Sūna, which captures the changing colours of the sky using the Rayleigh scattering effect.
The title of the Latvian exhibition, 89th Second, refers to the Doomsday Clock, which currently stands at 89 seconds to midnight: a symbolic measure of humanity’s proximity to a human-made global catastrophe. The works on display invite audiences to reflect on our shared responsibility towards nature and the environment, showing how design and creativity can contribute to addressing global challenges.
89th Second is part of the European Union’s official exhibition Design Beyond Things, which invites visitors of Expo 2025 Osaka to reflect on the lexicon of contemporary European design at a time of profound social change and urgent need for a new hope for the future. Selected by curators Patrizia Catalano and Miriam Giordano, the exhibition brings together works by 30 of the most innovative and creative designers from 17 EU member states, emphasising design’s transformative power — from circularity and sustainable production to reclaiming local and global identity.
«Design Beyond Things demonstrates design’s ability to create a more inclusive and sustainable environment, fostering respect for both people and nature. The Latvian contribution integrates seamlessly into the exhibition, with the message about ecological and socio-economic change providing the foundation for unique product design,» says Sarmīte Poļakova.
The exhibition Design Beyond Things in Osaka will be on view until September 13. It will take place in a hybrid format: some works will be presented physically, while others will be shown digitally. The EU Pavilion will showcase works by thirteen designers, while the contributions from Latvia and Lithuania will be exhibited in the Baltic Pavilion.
The participation of Latvian designers in Design Beyond Things is organised by the Latvian Design Centre, which is responsible for the conceptual and practical implementation of the exhibition in the Baltic Pavilion at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Japan. The project is financially supported by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, and the State Culture Capital Foundation.
Viedokļi