This collaboration is more than a project; it is a journey of discovery. It is an opportunity for Chinese , Shanghai based Designer , BOYI to deepen her understanding of diverse cultural practices through direct engagement, and for KIMVI to channel her performative, body-centric approach into the tangible realm of designed objects. Together, we hope to discover meaningful and surprising design possibilities.

Design Concept

How do we define a seat? Looking back at Vietnam’s seating history, from ngồi bệt to the iconic plastic stools, it reflects the Vietnamese lifestyle. A seat is not merely a functional object, it is also a way of defining social space.

As we walk through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, we see aunties washing vegetables, office workers eating lunch and chatting, tourists sipping drinks and coffee while enjoying local foods, and vendors selling cigarettes, all sitting on low-slung stools. Each stool delineates a small yet distinct “personal territory” for its occupant. These informal street seats are both temporary and open, blurring the boundary between private and public spaces.

Therefore, instead of designing a seat only for sitting, how can we reshape the relationships between the people and people, people and space through the seat? Or, how to redefine the public seat through a collection of the experiment objects?

RE : Stool - Re : Performed

KIMVI & BOYI

Shanghai. China

2026

Photography Jieni Mei