The IKEA Art Event Is Full of Very Cool Pieces Under $100

Zoë Sessums
·2 min read

Since 2015, everyone's favorite Swedish retailer has collaborated with contemporary artists and designers to create limited-edition collections. Dubbed the IKEA Art Event, the company uses this as an opportunity “to democratize art,” making it more accessible (ahem, affordable) to more people all over the world. With past collaborators like Virgil Abloh, Chiaozza, Junko Mizuno, and others, it's always a real thrill to see what each drop contains.

For 2021, the 10 pieces in this limited-edition collection were created to inspire and capture the imagination, while also functioning as useful household items—a.k.a. the Clever ethos. The pieces by Daniel Arsham, Gelchop, Humans Since 1982, Sabine Marcelis, and Stefan Marx hit the sweet spot between art and function, bringing us items like an Allen key-shaped LED table lamp (a lamp shaped like the ubiquitous IKEA tool, in layman's terms), a wall decoration resembling a flying clock, and a graphic throw that makes it hard to decide if you should wrap yourself in it or hang it on the wall.

With prices ranging from $25 to $60, it feels very exciting to snag a beautiful work of art that you can use for years to come—and perhaps buy more than one of.

Stefan Marx wants to bring joy into the home through art, and he hopes his contribution—a vase ($25) and a throw—will do exactly that.
Stefan's throw ($25) is a beautiful piece of textile art that pairs well with the vase.
Gelchop decided to turn the humble Allen key into a handy flashlight ($30) (available in metallic blue and silver).
It also made an LED table lamp ($50), which illuminates the tiny, useful object.
Daniel Arsham’s clock ($45) shows his ongoing fascination with questions of movement, materials, and architecture.
Sabine Marcelis’s wall lamps ($40-$60), which come in two different sizes and can change to five different colors, explore the wonderful effects created by a dynamic light emanating from a single, solid surface.
Humans Since 1982 took the drone and put it into an aluminum display case resembling a butterfly collection ($50). This is available beginning May 1, 2021.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest