Henzel gives us a preview of its new art rugs ahead of their Salone del Mobile unveiling
Swedish rug maker Henzel is branching out into ever more exclusive territory with the debut of its first art editions. Calle Henzel set up his factory in 1999, transitioning his fine art approach into the age old craft of the weaver, reinventing rug making and bringing new approaches, materials and techniques to the industry. For this year's Salone del Mobile in Milan, the Henzel Studio has taken the art of rug design a step further with a selection of high profile collaborations.
Debuting with works by Helmut Lang and Anselm Reyle in Milan, the collection will soon be augmented with designs by Linder, Marilyn Minter, Jack Pierson, Richard Prince, Juergen Teller and Mickalene Thomas.
There are many ways to make a rug. Given the vast technical parameters available, the brief was essentially totally open; the artists could do what they liked, whether it was using existing artworks as the basis for their piece, or starting from scratch and letting the material and process help shape their vision.
Making a rug is not a mass production process, and each piece will be made to order in Nepal, with variations of shape and form between each edition. Ranging in price from $16,000 to $20,000 (although of course you can spec the rug to your precise requirements), a typical piece takes around seven months of handiwork.
Both Lang and Reyle have used their pieces to create floor-sized trompe l'oeil, each exploring different aspects of the rug making process - pile heights, shape, material composition and finishings - to create utterly distinctive pieces of work that are far too good to ever walk on. Lang's 'Untitled 2013' is based on his ongoing sculpture series, the medium he's favoured since stepping back from fashion. Resembling a carbon-rich sliver of rock, apparently carved out of the ground, it's woven from Himalayan wool and silk, the surface distinguished by different pile heights and shimmering variations in the material.
Anselm Reyle's rug, 'Untitled 2012', references the German artist's foil paintings: cased compositions of brightly shining foil. Translating these three dimensional forms into a flat surface has been achieved with a mix of silk and white wool, allowing the folds in the metallic surface to shine and shimmer.
Henzel's strong social and environmental ethic has underpinned the company from the outset, and all the rugs in the series will be made using responsibly sourced materials in workshops overseen by the independent trade body GoodWeave. Henzel's curation has opened up another milieu to a group of well-established, highly inventive artists, giving them the technical support to explore how their aesthetic translates into another medium, whether it's Scott Campbell's one dollar bill, Linder's punk ethos or the painterly surfaces of Richard Prince and Robert Knoke.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Complex and stimulating, Federico Stefanovich's industrial designs act like a bridge between culture and economics
In a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here Federico Stefanovich tells us about his increasing desire to find his own path
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Amelia Stevens' playful, minimalist design 'is geared towards beauty as a function of longevity'
In a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Amelia Stevens about the multi-disciplinary joy of design
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Design practice Astraeus Clarke is inspired by cinema to tell a story and evoke an emotion
In a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Chelsie and Jacob Starley the creative duo behind Astraeus Clarke
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Faye Toogood brings new life to Matisse’s legacy
Milan Design Week 2023: tapped by Maison Matisse, the London-based designer has taken inspiration from the French master’s forms to create a collection of heirloom-worthy objects
By Sam Rogers Published
-
Prada Frames 2023: Milan programme announced
Programme announced for Prada Frames 2023 at Milan Design Week, the annual symposium curated by Formafantasma at Luigi Caccia Dominioni's Teatro Filodrammatici from 17 to 19 April
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Alessi Occasional Objects: Virgil Abloh’s take on cutlery
Best Cross Pollination: Alessi's cutlery by the late designer Virgil Abloh, in collaboration with his London studio Alaska Alaska, is awarded at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Salone del Mobile 2023: highlights from Milan Design Week
In pictures: our highlights from Milan Design Week, held during the 61st Salone del Mobile 2023 (18-23 April)
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
USM launches blushing pink limited edition of its modular furniture
Following an installation during Milan Design Week 2022, USM launches a new pink limited edition of its Haller range
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
‘You don't want space; you want to fill it’: Milan exhibition
Making its debut during Milan Design Week 2022 at Marsèll Paradise, a new exhibition by Matylda Krzykowski, explores how we approach the space we live in (until 15 July 2022)
By Cristina Kiran Piotti Last updated
-
Men’s mental health takes centre stage at an art and design exhibition by Tableau
‘Confessions’, which travels to Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design following its debut at Milan Design Week 2022, features commissioned work by 14 male artists, designers and architects, reflecting on toxic masculinity, vulnerability and mental health
By TF Chan Last updated
-
Salone del Mobile 2022: highlights from Milan Design Week
In pictures: our highlights from Milan Design Week 2022, held during the 60th edition of Salone del Mobile (7 – 12 June 2022)
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated