What else can you show me? Furniture Firm unveils Dylan-inspired Installation for Design Event

The UK’s leading contract furniture firm Furniture Fusion has unveiled ‘What Else Can You Show Me?’ – a unique music-inspired installation and collaboration with a noted design studio as part of their appearance at key industry event HIX London.

Established in 2001, Furniture Fusion is the UK’s leading furniture supplier within the hospitality sector. Based just outside London, they work with clients across the UK and Europe, and can help with everything from initial concepts through to bespoke design, installation and delivery.

Working with design studio Bell & Swift, the Furniture Fusion installation is inspired by lyrics from one of Bob Dylan’s most important songs, It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding), celebrating transformation, the fusion of ideas and the value of the creative process. While music is the inspiration, furniture and hospitality design are at the heart of the project, drawing on the team’s experience of working with hotel, bar and restaurant operators over two decades.

Building on the success of their award-winning installation for the event in 2024, this was another striking project from the Furniture Fusion team and much more than just a showcase for the firm’s furniture collection and bespoke production.

Giant screens looped a close-shot video of eyes watching over the industry event — at once unsettling and magnetic, it piqued the interest of delegates who visited over the course of the two days. The monochrome palette for the space was equally striking, relating to the opposing positions in a culture clash and reflecting the theme of the event.

One side of the installation used finished pieces of furniture selected for HIX 2025, while the other side featured bespoke pieces which were designed and created for the event.

These were deliberately unsettling, provocative and uncomfortable — glue oozing from the joints of a chair, brash neon paint on raw foam cut to create an angular chair and an unfinished sofa revealed the unseen structure below a polished piece. There are possibilities in each, with the opportunity to create something different and better.

Visitors were invited to choose a card with a single word printed on it — one of a series of pairs chosen as prompts to provoke discussion and creative thought. A set of custom playing cards used the same set of opposing words, along with a line for each designed to promote creative thought, challenge a conventional way of thinking and stimulate discussion. Reflecting the Dylan lyric, these cards help show ‘there’s always a sense in trying’.

Sam Samuels, Managing Director of Furniture Fusion, commented:

“Our installation for HIX London this year was inspired by one of my musical heroes, Bob Dylan. He’s never been afraid to challenge the status quo — his transition from folk music to rock’n’roll was a huge creative change, and one that was provocative, controversial and divisive at the time.

Dylan’s line ‘he not busy being born is busy dying’ really resonates with me — it’s a call for progress over stagnation, learning and developing and constantly innovating to challenge what’s possible. We enjoyed some great conversations with guests over the course of the event and are looking forward to working on some really creative and engaging projects over the coming months.”

The full installation was unveiled on 26 November at the Business Design Centre. Full project and product details are available here. 

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