Anton Edelshtein’s design practice conceives of objects not as static, fixed forms but as dynamic open systems shaped by interaction, context and perception. During his graduate research, Edelshtein developed a rhizomatic methodology that rejects linear design models in favor of non‑hierarchical, network‑like processes.
The Extainer series embodies this approach. Unlike a traditional container that encloses or hides, the extainer is conceived as an open structure that re‑articulates the relationship between an object’s everyday function and its latent potentials. Function is pushed to the periphery, making room for intuitive, bodily and cultural meanings to fill the object’s space. An extainer retains a nominal link to its source (chair, hanger, candlestick), yet operates as a platform for additional potentials: traces of use, subjective associations and unexpected connections.
By dismantling familiar forms and focusing on negative space, Edelshtein invites the body to engage differently. Each object resists passive consumption and instead functions as an invitation to explore, question and renegotiate the relation between body, object and context.