The fifth edition of Inside~Out, the outdoor design show took place on a usually private rooftop in Dumbo. This year’s theme Bird’s Eye View was both a nod to the panoramic backdrop including the Manhattan bridge and the users of the exhibited objects. All of the pieces had some direct or referenced way of connecting people to native birds, insects and plants.
Many of the pieces doubled as bird houses, feeders or baths. One chair was made entirely out of birdseed but lost its shape by the time I visited from rain and relentless pigeon feasts.
A series of colorful stacked boxes was designed to house a bee hive. The wax would become candles that the boxes could display.
The work mainly explored the artistic end of the design spectrum. The one exception might be Kin&Co’s metal table with a small feeder bowl in the base. Seems production ready. The show’s sponsors, outdoor furnishings company DEDON and Gloster might be best positioned to take the show’s concept to a larger scale. Maybe rainwater harvesting outdoor furniture or outdoor tables with embedded solar panel tops?
Full Description
Inside~Out, the creative outdoor exhibition founded by Kin & Company, will present its fifth annual edition titled “Inside~Out: Bird’s Eye View” in DUMBO during NYCxDesign 2026. This year’s theme invites visitors to transcend anthropocentric perspectives to an ecocentric one, with artworks imagined through the lens of New York’s avian inhabitants. With the birds as the guests, the exhibition positions the artwork as the meeting ground for connection, offering a true “bird’s-eye view” of how humans and wildlife might coexist more thoughtfully within the city. Sponsored by DEDON and Gloster, two luxury outdoor brands specializing in creating such transformative exteriors through their designs, the exhibition will showcase works from more than 30 independent design studios on the rooftop terrace, designed to foster the intended bond between the species. Hosted by Two Trees Management atop its DUMBO office building with superior views of the Manhattan Bridge, the installation will create moments and spaces to relax, learn, and inspire attendees and visiting ‘flyers-by’ together in harmony.
“We’re excited to support this year’s Inside~Out and be part of something that feels distinctly New York—creative, relaxed, a little unexpected, and rooted in people coming together,” says Patrick Troy, President & CEO of DEDON Americas and Gloster Americas. “The best spaces have a certain atmosphere to them. That intersection of art, design, culture, and human connection is something we’ve always been drawn to as brands. We’re proud to contribute the furnishings that help shape the experience and create a setting for the artists and conversations that make New York Design Week so special. A rooftop installation in New York in the spring is hard to beat.”
“In our increasingly distracted and isolating world, we look toward design to play a key role in facilitating a nourishing future, especially in dense and dynamic urban landscapes,” says Kin & Company and Inside~Out co-founder Kira de Paola. “We are interested in creating opportunities to reflect on and consider our relationship to the living world around us, with nature not solely as research for design, but instead as a mentor.”
2026 Participating Artists
Anahit Pogosian, Forma Studio
Beca Studio
Christopher Prinz
Concrete Cat
Design VA
Evan Z. Crane
Facture Studio
Fernanda Uribe-Horta Studio
Hanna Anonen
Joseph Algieri
Josh Draper
Kazuki Guzmán
Kin & Company
Kyle May, Architect
Lauren Goodman & Amalya Meira
Lucca House
Luke Malaney
Malcolm Majer
Mike Newins
Naomi Clark Studio
Narciso Marengo Studio
Nifemi Ogunro
Nine Stories Co
Noa Raviv
Peg Woodworking
Phaan Howng
Position Studio
Sophie Collé
Spectacle Motifs
Streicher Goods
Photos and Text: Dave Pinter
