Vincent Van Duysen’s stone furniture explores sensuality and culture
Vincent Van Duysen’s new furniture collection for stone specialist Arca is unveiled at Design Miami 2023
‘Monolithic yet sensual and sensorial’ is how Vincent Van Duysen, the Belgian master of minimalism, describes his latest collection of stone furniture, designed in collaboration with Mexican materials brand Arca. Titled ‘Gravitas’, the collection, unveiled during Design Miami 2023, comprises 18 elements ranging from tables and chairs to a library stand.
Citing Isamu Noguchi as a primary inspiration, Van Duysen says, ‘I really admire the contemporary artists who work with natural stone in a very expressionist, evocative and emotionally sensual way.’ He also looked to classical Greek, Roman and Egyptian designs. ‘I wanted the pieces I designed for Arca to be very archetypal, to lean into primary forms from the past.’
Gravitas: Vincent Van Duysen for Arca
The collection features four stones – a Carrara marble and a rust-coloured porphyry stone, both from Italy, a sand-hued Cafecina from Spain, and a lava stone from Mexico – and the defining feature throughout is the juxtaposition of rough and polished surfaces, which gives a sense of the force of gravity versus lightness. The collection is largely handmade, with each piece taking between 40-90 hours to produce, depending on the hardness of the stone.
‘Vincent’s perfectionism pushed our boundaries and took us out of our comfort zone,’ says Gerardo Cortina, who founded Arca in 2001. ‘He can see detail from a mile away, he can see if something is not perfect. It was a big challenge to work with him. He has pushed us to look forward.’
The pieces combine different techniques, with the shapes carved using CNC machines (or by hand for the lava stone pieces made in Mexico), then hand-hammered to achieve the rough finish, and brushed to soften the final effect. Contrasting surfaces are then polished by hand. ‘The work of the hand is connected to our soul, this collection goes back to a time when handwork was the norm,’ says Cortina. ‘The textures that Vincent wanted are impossible to achieve even with the best machines of the world. And that is the soul of the project.’
The word ‘soul’ is also referenced by Van Duysen when recalling his collaboration with Arca, alongside the human connection and chemistry. ‘Without that, you cannot create pieces that have such a sense of humanity.’
Exploring a wide pool of inspirational references, he also looked to James Turrell’s visual optical effects, Roni Horn’s glass sculptures and the work of Anish Kapoor. ‘The pieces will not only dialogue with space, but also with other objects, with art,’ he says. ‘And they’re very versatile. They don’t belong to a single world, but to a universe that is much broader than a room.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
‘Gravitas’ is on show during Design Miami from 7-10 December 2023
Arca Wynwood
260 NW 27th Street
Miami
vincentvanduysen.com
gpoarca.com
A version of this story appears in the December 2023 Entertaining Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
JW Anderson and Pleasing design a balloon-inspired collection of nail polishes and more
JW Anderson and Pleasing launch an uplifting new capsule collection featuring balloon-inspired metallic nail polishes and a take on the viral rainbow cardigan
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Bottega Veneta drafts Venetian artisans for its unique ‘Bottega for Bottegas’ project, a gift list of local craft
Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta has sought out six craftspeople from in and around Venice to create precious objects – from playing cards to jigsaw puzzles – which arrive just in time for festive gift-giving
By Jack Moss Published
-
Agnès Varda, Luca Guadagnino and Wim Wenders: why Aesop’s love affair with cinema is more than skin-deep
Aesop’s new 2024 Christmas campaign celebrates its long love affair with cinema. Laura Havlin speaks with the brand’s head of global store design Marianne Lardilleux to discover why film is inherent to its DNA
By Laura Havlin Published
-
Smooth operator: Willett debuts new furniture at Design Miami 2024, with a playful touch of retro allure
LA furniture designer Willett turned heads in the design world with the launch of his eponymous brand earlier this year. Ahead of his Design Miami debut, he told us what’s in store for 2025
By Ali Morris Published
-
The highlights from Design Miami.Paris
Design Miami.Paris returned to the Hôtel de Maisons, showcasing 24 galleries and 18 presentations of 20th-century and contemporary design. Here is what went on
By Anna Sansom Published
-
Zara Home and Vincent Van Duysen launch third furniture collection
The new Vincent Van Duysen Zara Home furniture makes its debut as Collection 03 expands on the collaboration's previous themes with a mix of classic and contemporary approaches
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Craft x Tech elevates Japanese craftsmanship with progressive technology
The inaugural edition of Craft x Tech was presented in Tokyo this week, before making its first international stop at Design Miami Basel (11-16 June 2024)
By Danielle Demetriou Last updated
-
Take a peek inside the serene private homes of Vincent Van Duysen
Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen invites us into his serenely designed private homes in a new book by Rizzoli
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
The inaugural Design Miami LA explores living with design
Inside the debut of Design Miami LA, staged at the Holmby Hills Estate until 20 May 2024
By Carole Dixon Published
-
Design Miami Los Angeles edition announced
Design Miami Los Angeles will be the fair’s West Coast debut, taking place 16 – 20 May 2024 at the Holmby Hills Estate
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Paulin Paulin Paulin puts a fresh twist on a design classic for Basic.Space
Paulin Paulin Paulin collaborates with online marketplace Basic.Space on a unique colourway for its ‘Groovy’ armchair
By Adrian Madlener Published