Whispers Bench

Air-sculpted object

The sculptural object Whispers embodies Oskar Zięta’s structural way of thinking and the essence of his design methodology. It is a spatial record of pressure, time, and resistance — a narrative of the volumetric growth of metal, of the force of material, technology, and art.

Free deformation as an act of creation

The form of Whispers emerges from a dialogue with the material and its internal forces, balancing a “controlled loss of control” — the process of free deformation known as FiDU. Flat metal membranes are precisely welded along a designed contour. Air is then injected between them under high pressure.

Essence of volumetric expansion

The steel bends, stretches, and grows — transforming from a two-dimensional object into a three-dimensional form. What emerges is not imposed from the outside, but generated from within — a volumetric expansion that forms the foundation of Zięta objects, in which air is the primary structural tool.

Harmony, sequence, uniqueness

In Whispers, deformation is multiplied and sequenced. The steel expands rhythmically, segment by segment, like a bellows or the folds of an accordion. The result is a brutalist yet organic form — structured, repetitive, and rich in variation.

London debut of the Whispers Bench

The Whispers Bench was first presented as part of the Whispers installation at Fleet Street Quarter during the London Architecture Festival in 2025. It marked a symbolic return of Oskar Zięta to the British capital, 15 years after the premiere of the rolled steel profile within the Blow & Roll installation at the V&A Museum in 2010.

Places where Whispers are heard

In 2026, the Whispers Bench was showcased at the heart of the Signature sector during Maison&Objet in Paris, where it was a part of a curated selection by Thomas Haarmann — CURATIO. Its next stop this year is New York, at ICFF 2026, held as part of NYCxDESIGN.