Each May, the Liechtenstein family opens the doors of its medieval Austrian castle, Schloss Hollenegg, to the public. Inside, nestled among layered period interiors – including a Renaissance courtyard and a Baroque church – visitors encounter contemporary works by established and emerging designers alongside historical objects from the castle’s own collection, all united by a shared theme.

‘This is the last of a series of exhibitions dedicated to materials,’ explains Italian-born curator and the event’s founder Alice Stori Liechtenstein. ‘After exploring glass, ceramics, wood and textiles, metal seemed the perfect choice. Metals are the building blocks of our planet and literally hold our world together.'

For ‘Element: Metal’, Stori Liechtenstein has pulled an array of metal objects from the castle’s historic collections – from silver tableware and ornamental pieces to weaponry and architectural fittings – offering insight into the material culture of past centuries. Alongside these storied objects are contemporary works by designers and artists selected for their ‘exceptional craftsmanship, original conceptual approaches, and responsible engagement with the material’. It's hard to imagine a more romantic setting.

Schloss Hollenegg: design's most poetic experimental residence

Born in Milan and raised in Bologna, Stori Liechtenstein founded Schloss Hollenegg for Design in 2015. Each May, the non-profit cultural institution transforms the 21,500 sq ft, 52-room castle – which has belonged to her husband Alfred Liechtenstein’s family for two centuries – into a space for design research, critical thinking and experimentation. Alongside the annual exhibition, the institution runs a residency programme that provides emerging designers with the opportunity to develop new work within this unique historic context.

Of the 18 designers and artists featured in the exhibition, 12 spent time at Schloss Hollenegg during the summer and autumn of 2025, developing site-specific pieces. Finnish jewellery designer Ildar Wafin, sponsored by the Finnland Institut in Germany, collaborated with historic Viennese silversmith Jarosinski & Vaugoin to produce an unusual silver table bell that pays homage to the bells in the castle’s church tower. Its sinuous shape nods to the centuries-old Canadian vine that climbs the courtyard walls.

Elsewhere, Japanese artist Junko Mori, supported by her gallery Adrian Sassoon, has been developing the concept of the frame; American fine artist Elliott Hundley, with support from Friedman Benda, has created a chandelier and mirror for Henriette’s bedroom; while Lithuanian designer Mantas Lesauskas has created a chess board.

Meanwhile, designers Hannah Kuhlmann, Anna Zimmermann and Soft Baroque, supported by Copenhagen-based art and design gallery Etage Projects, have brought recent metal works to the exhibition.

For the first time, the institution has partnered with aluminium and energy company Hydro, which is presenting three projects, by Max Lamb, Philippe Malouin and Sabine Marcelis – works developed to showcase Hydro’s Circal 100R recycled aluminium made from post-consumer scrap. At a time when designers are increasingly reconsidering how materials are sourced, reused and preserved, metal offers a particularly rich lens through which to explore ideas of permanence, repair and transformation.

‘Today we frame recycling as an environmental necessity, but in the past reuse was simply part of everyday life,’ reflects Stori Liechtenstein. ‘Materials were expensive, labour-intensive and difficult to source, so objects were rarely discarded. They were repaired, adapted, melted down or repurposed over generations. This creates a natural dialogue between the contemporary aluminium works and the historic interiors of Schloss Hollenegg. While the new projects openly address sustainability and circularity, the historical objects reveal a long tradition of material care and longevity.’

In another first, Schloss Hollenegg has also partnered with the TransArts department of the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Die Angewandte), offering seven students – Jordi Albers, Klemens Hegen, Lea Liebl, Elena Riener, Luise Lutz & Michels Strümpf, and Lorenzo Zerbini – the opportunity to develop work for the exhibition.

‘I see much more overlap and, for me, the boundaries between design, applied arts, collectible design and art have been slowly dissolving,’ says Stori Lichtenstein, reflecting on how the design landscape has shifted since the institution’s founding 11 years ago. ‘I think categorisations are useful to understand what we are talking about, but ultimately these disciplines are all part of the same cultural ecosystem.

‘I have always been interested in the narrative potential of objects and, in recent years, I have concentrated more on how to present them in engaging ways for the public,’ she continues. ‘Collectible and experimental design are, more than ever, wonderful vehicles for engaging with contemporary material culture.’

'Element: Metal' runs at Schloss Hollenegg Castle until 31 May 2026

schlosshollenegg.at

If it was up to Sabine Marcelis, cellphones would be checked at the door at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The Dutch artist and designer known for her geometric forms attended the festival for the first time last year with her partner and their six month old child. This year, she's back with Maze a new temporary installation on the grounds.

Maze is an inflatable sculpture crafted from PVC in a gradient of red, orange and yellow that is at home in the desert. While its shape and color are inspired by the contours of the surrounding Coachella Valley and high desert region that Marcelis spent time in as a teenager, she is quick to clarify it is not a direct translation.

'I wanted to bring the movement of the mountain ranges and create a setting that felt very isolated from its surroundings as you are very walled off once inside. I wanted to create the feeling of being surrounded the same way the Coachella Valley is by the mountain ranges,' she says.

The installation, commissioned by Public Art Company who handles all of the visual art at Coachella, has a purpose beyond its aesthetics. 'Having gone to Coachella myself, I understood how important it is to be able to find that shade at the festival. I however did not want to create a canopy-style work,' says Marcelis. Instead, the walls of Maze provide shade during the day, creating growing pockets for relaxing as the sun moves. Sculptural benches in matching sunset hues line the exterior and pepper the curves of the maze, providing seating. When the sun goes down, pulsing strips of light inside the inflatable walls are illuminated, creating what Marcelis hopes is an 'all encompassing experience.'

From ideation to installation, Maze took one year to complete. The process began with research during Marcelis’ initial visit to the festival grounds last year. She worked on sketches from April until July before going into production, finishing at the end of 2025. The production and final install was done by a local team, requiring tremendous trust from Marcelis. 'I’m a bit of a control freak,' says the artist, who is used to working with her usual production and installation teams at home in Rotterdam. Less than 24-hours before the festival doors opened, she saw the piece installed for the first time. As daylight moved into golden hour, she finalised the light programming.

Marcelis describes Maze as a 'complementary experience' to the music that will surround it. Festival goers can use it as a place of refuge, whether to escape the sun or easily find friends when cell reception is lost. She believes the best way to experience the work is to allow oneself to pause and appreciate the light and shadow the work creates and enhances.

While Marcelis thinks Maze is best experienced as a moment between experiencing music, when asked which artists from the 2026 lineup she’d pair with the work, she was quick to suggest Dijon, The XX, Röyksopp and Solomun. Attendees who don’t want to miss a moment of music can view the festival’s two main stages from select spots within Maze.

Marcelis knows inevitably, many festival goers will see the work first for its content creation opportunity, but she wishes they wouldn’t. 'It’s not intended as an Instagram moment,' she says, 'I want festival attendees to feel enveloped by the installation and to really feel a moment of calm and wonder between the moments where they are feeling the music. I want people laying on the grass and draped over the seats.'

To honour the artist's intention, consider Maze an exercise in making memories over creating content.

‘Varmblixt’, Sabine Marcelis’ cult, donut-shaped lamp for Ikea, returns in a new guise. Available from April 2026, the newly reimagined ‘Varmblixt’ features a smart update that includes colour-shifting and dimmable light.

The now-iconic lamp was first launched in 2022, as a way to explore 'the idea of how lighting functions within the home', Marcelis said at the time. Part of a wider collection that included lighting designs as well as glassware, the original ‘Varmblixt’ features orange glass and the option to be used as a table or wall lamp (this version will remain part of Ikea's catalogue once the new lamp is rolled out).

‘Varmblixt’ goes smart: discover Sabine Marcelis’ reimagined lamp for Ikea

The new lamp features a matte glass finish with light changing in colour to create different atmospheres within a domestic interior. Using Ikea's Bilresa remote, users will be able to control the light's chromatic palette, with a range of 12 hues curated by Marcelis.

Colour is at the core of the designer's oeuvre, and this project showcases her penchant for delicious pastels as the light seamlessly moves from a cool white to glowing amber, warm red, soft pink, cool lavender and turquoise.

'We spent a lot of time fine-tuning the transitions between the curated colours,' says Marcelis. 'What makes this lamp unique is that switching between colours is not a sudden change, but a very smooth journey through all the hues to get to the next colour. The light slowly moves through colour to, in turn, transform the colour of a space.'

A high-tech interpretation of the design, the new ‘Varmblixt’ also connects to the Ikea Home Smart app through the Dirigera Hub, allowing full control of the light's shade and intensity.

'The focus this time was on what more we could explore within the iconic form of the donut lamp,' says Marcelis. 'Colour variation is one part of it, but at its core, “Varmblixt” has always been about how you experience light. In the original donut lamp, external light played on the glossy surface and bounced beautifully off it. With this version, the matt finish lets the light glow softly from within. It’s a very natural, technical evolution of how light can be experienced.'

'“Varmblixt” [...] has always been about the emotional aspects of light and Sabine's way of shaping atmosphere,' adds Chiara Ripalti, Ikea's lighting product developer. 'With these new versions, we expand that idea with updates that let people explore emotion more freely.'

As Ikea continues its mission towards a technological home (having recently introduced 21 products compatible with universal smart home standard Matter), it also announced a new, tech-based collaboration with Marcelis to be unveiled in 2027. Watch this space.

2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year for design lovers, with an array of global design exhibitions set to be staged at some of the world's most celebrated institutions. Our exhibition calendar includes retrospectives of design legends, from Verner Panton to Lella and Massimo Vignelli, and in-depth looks at the work of giants such as Isamu Noguchi and Alessandro Mendini.

We also can’t wait to delve deeper into the archives of some of our favourite grandes dames of design, with shows dedicated to Hella Jongerius, Es Devlin and Sabine Marcelis.

Below are the institutional exhibitions we are most looking forward to – mark your diaries, and don’t miss our 2026 design fairs calendar too.

2026 design exhibitions to discover

‘Fungi: Anarchist Designers’ at Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam

This groundbreaking design exhibition curated by anthropologist Anna Tsing and designer Feifei Zhou presents fungi as 'radical designers in a world beyond human control'. On view at Rotterdam's Het Nieuwe Instituut, the display explores how mushrooms and moulds can cause decomposition, death and destruction, but also explores their potential to work together with human and non-human life. The curator commissioned seven new installations for the exhibition, created by designers working closely with scientists, and also includes artworks from artists such as Olafur Eliasson and Annicka Yi. The thought-provoking exhibition aims to challenge our perception of design while answering the question, what can we learn from non-human life?

Until 8 August 2026, Nieuwe Instituut, Museumpark 25, 3015 CB Rotterdam

Alessandro Mendini at Estorick Collection, London

The first solo exhibition of Alessandro Mendini’s work in the UK, this show features a curation of over 50 pieces, ranging from furniture and drawings to paintings, rugs and objects. The playful poetry of Mendini's work is explored through the artistic references and inspirations that helped shape his career. Among the connections woven by the exhibition are those with Futurist artist Fortunato Depero, to whom the designer dedicated two works in fabric, and Wassily Kandinsky’s abstract paintings, referenced in Mendini's Kandissi sofa.

16 January – 10 May 2026, Estorick Collection, 39a Canonbury Square, London N1 2AN

‘Noguchi’s New York’ at The Noguchi Museum

Isamu Noguchi first arrived in New York City in 1922 and, despite his globe-spanning career in art and design, the city remained a base for him throughout his life – and its material, cultural, social and political landscapes a profound influence on his ideas and work. In turn, Noguchi left his own mark on the city – with public art proposals and communal spaces designed for engagement and play (many of which faced opposition from figures such as NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses). Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the inauguration of The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, this exhibition examines Noguchi’s enduring efforts to give back to the city that inspired him. It also celebrates the museum itself as one of his most lasting contributions to New York, highlighting the dialogue between art and surroundings that defined Noguchi’s vision and legacy.

4 February – 5 July 2026, The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York

‘Art of Noise’ at Cooper Hewitt, New York

This major exhibition examines how design has shaped the way we experience music over the last century. From concert posters and album covers to the design of radios, phonographs, digital players and sound systems, ‘Art of Noise’ brings together over 300 objects from the collections of Cooper Hewitt and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to reveal how designers have influenced our relationship with sound. The exhibition also features dynamic audio environments by Stockholm-based Teenage Engineering and multidisciplinary artist Devon Turnbull, inviting visitors to engage with sound and design in entirely new ways – from custom listening rooms to innovative seating environments – showing how visual and industrial practices both reflect and shape cultural, technological and social shifts in music.

13 February – 19 July 2026, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York

‘Hella Jongerius: Whispering Things’ at Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein

The first retrospective of Hella Jongerius’ work, this exhibition follows the Vitra Design Museum's acquisition of her archives and charts the Dutch designer's creative trajectory across several disciplines, including textiles, ceramics, furniture, lighting, and sculpture. Alongside the archives will be an overview of Jongeriuslab, the designer's studio, and its unique approach to creativity, shaped by a mix of 'layering ideas, drawing connections, emphasising materiality, exposing process, and researching deeply, with a dedication to craft, colour, and cosmic thinking'.

14 March – 6 September 2026, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany

‘Lella and Massimo Vignelli’ at Triennale Milano

A major retrospective dedicated to the work of Lella and Massimo Vignelli, this exhibition is a testament to the designers’ crucial impact on popular culture through product design and visual communications. The Vignellis left post-war Milan and settled in New York to establish their studio in 1965, and their ‘intellectual and human journey’ is narrated through a curated selection of objects, furniture, interiors, drawings, models, sketches, photographs, manuals, trademarks, books, covers, and magazines. The exhibition is designed by Jasper Morrison, and created with the support of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology (USA), which preserves more than 750,000 objects from the studio's history.

25 March – 6 September 2026, Triennale Milano, Viale Alemagna 6, Milan

‘Verner Panton: Form, Colour, Space’ at Vitra Schaudepot, Weil am Rhein

It’s no exaggeration to say that Danish architect and designer Verner Panton (1926-1998) transformed furniture, interiors, fabrics, lamps and buildings with his bold forms, vibrant colours and visionary ideas. In 2026, he would have celebrated his 100th birthday; to mark the occasion, the Vitra Design Museum’s Schaudepot exhibition – one of the most significant collections of Panton’s designs – is presenting his work chronologically and thematically. The exhibition highlights iconic pieces such as the ‘Panton’ chair and the 1970 ‘Visiona II’ installation; it also reconstructs the designer’s 1970 ‘Fantasy Landscape’, a walk-in environment that transformed the way people experienced space, colour and form. The exhibition places Panton’s work in its historical context, examining his innovations in materials and production, the postwar social shifts that shaped his designs, and the influence of the Space Age.

23 May 2026 – 9 May 2027, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany

Es Devlin at the Design Museum, London

This is the first major UK survey of Es Devlin’s 30-year career, showcasing her work across sculpture, performance and light installations. Operating at the intersection of art, performance, architecture and technology, Devlin is known for elevating stage design to an art form. Her work treats audiences as ‘temporary societies’ – rather than serving as a backdrop, it shapes how people gather, move and feel within a space, whether that’s through kinetic stage sculptures for artists like Beyoncé, U2 and The Weeknd, or monumental installations for events such as the Olympic ceremonies and Super Bowl halftime show. Developed in close collaboration with Devlin, this retrospective features rare maquettes, sketches, annotated texts and process materials alongside new sculptures and installations created specifically for the exhibition, highlighting her transformative influence on contemporary art and design while revealing the ideas and processes behind her most ambitious work.

18 September 2026 – 11 April 2027, Design Museum, London

‘Haas Brothers: Uncanny Valley’ at Blanton Museum, Austin, Texas

In the 15 years since establishing their design studio, twin brothers Nikolai and Simon Haas have crafted a world filled with magical creatures and larger-than-life biomorphic ideas that also happen to be brilliant design objects. This exhibition at the Blanton Museum of Art explores the Austin natives' magical output; discover sculptural objects made in a variety of techniques and materials, including porcelain, bronze, wool, glass beads, fur, and more.

26 September 2026 – 17 January 2027, Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, 200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

‘Sabine Marcelis – Light and Color’ at Museum für Gestaltung Zürich

Sabine Marcelis’ first museum exhibition is dedicated to the Dutch designer’s impeccable colour and light work, exploring the past few years' output alongside newly commissioned light pieces. On view at Zürich's Museum für Gestaltung, the show presents an insight into Marcelis' practice, with samples and material studies offering a look behind the scenes of her work, combined with a carefully conceived spatial experience that honours her expressive designs.

30 October 2026 – 14 March 2027, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Pfingstweidstrasse 96

‘The Nue Black Aesthetic’ at the Design Museum, London

This landmark exhibition highlights contemporary Black designers who are reshaping the British and global design landscape. Ambitious and wide-ranging, it encompasses furniture, architecture, fashion and installation. The featured designers, including the likes of Mac Collins, Samuel Ross, Bianca Saunders and Giles Tettey Nartey, draw on identity, culture and community to create work that reflects the complexities of modern Black experience. The exhibition situates this work within a broader historical context, referencing movements such as the Black Aesthetic of the 1960s and the New Black Aesthetic of the 1980s, while interpreting these legacies for today’s landscape. ‘The Nue Black Aesthetic’ reveals the transformative ways Black designers are shaping design, as well as inviting audiences to rethink entrenched narratives about who defines it.

6 November 2026 – 8 August 2027, Design Museum, London

If there’s one object that encapsulates the spirit of the 1960s – and later the 1990s, when it saw a resurgence in popularity, making it a nostalgic staple of millennial childhoods – it’s the lava lamp. Now, its manufacturer, Mathmos,is unveiling a 2025 iteration of the beloved classic in collaboration with Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis. This marks the third partnership between the brand and the designer (who has previously created a yellow and a burgundy lava lamp) and introduces two new editions: a giant 296cm ‘Column Lava Lamp’ and a pale green re-edition of the 1963 ‘Astro Lava Lamp’.

Sabine Marcelis’ tall order of a lava lamp

Inspired by Marcelis’ vision of floor-to-ceiling light sculptures, the ‘Column’ lamp is pure psychedelic whimsy, reimagined at an architectural scale. ‘I always wanted to design a giant lava lamp,’ says the designer. ‘In my very first meeting with Mathmos, I imagined creating a room filled with towering lava lamps. That dream is now becoming reality.’

Standing nearly 3m tall, the ‘Column’ features a slender frosted glass cylinder housing the hypnotically slow-moving lava blobs. The result is a luminous, fluid sculpture that feels both nostalgic and futuristic. It’s available in three candy-hued colourways: Bubblegum (pink), Peach (light orange), and Honeydew (light green). Each lamp is made to order, with customisable height specifications.

Mathmos and Marcelis are also bringing back the original ‘Astro’ lava lamp in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, each finished in the Honeydew shade. The ‘Astro’ was the very first model, created in 1963 by British inventor Edward Craven Walker, drawing inspiration from an era captivated by emerging technologies and space exploration. The reissue showcases Marcelis’ trademark frosted glass, a custom hand-filled Honeydew lava blend, and a matte mint-green aluminium base and cap.

Marcelis and Mathmos reimagine the lava lamp in striking new forms: a space-defining sculpture and a collectible reissue of the model that started it all. A classic reborn for design lovers and 1990s kids alike.

Both editions will be available worldwide, exclusively through Mathmos’ website. The ‘Astro Lava Lamp’, priced at £170/€200, will launch at midday on 23 October 2025. The ‘Column Lava Lamp’, priced at £8,500/€9,500, will launch at midday on 24 October 2025.

Alongside Apple’s recent autumn product launches – the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 lineup, the AirPod Pro 3, and a trio of Apple Watches, as well the new 'Liquid Glass' feel of iOS26 – arrived one more thing: an ensemble of prismatic polyester resin, frosted coloured glass, and clear acrylic installations designed for Apple Park’s Observatory by colour and light impresario, Sabine Marcelis.

Sharing an obsession with flawless surfaces, the Rotterdam-based artist and designer has conjured a dynamic kaleidoscope of interactive influencer-friendly tableaus for The Observatory (opened in 2024 as a new space to showcase the brand's latest innovations), bending light and reflecting colour into corners of the subterranean sanctum. The contemplative inner space now glows as an improved stage for selfies.

Beyond offering a palette of colours redolent of Apple’s new products – Cosmic Orange, Mist Blue and Lavender – Marcelis says Apple’s Industrial Design team granted her full autonomy ‘to explore and experiment’. Informed by these newest hues, Marcelis created glass colours digitally in Photoshop, with resin components mixed manually with pigments.

‘It's a constant back and forth for me between physical prototyping and digital prototyping,’ explained Marcelis. The artist and designer credits a seamless pipeline between iOS- and macOS-powered devices for collaborative efficiency among her eight-person team. ‘We work in Rhino, KeyShot, Adobe suite and iMessage to communicate ideas throughout development with each other,’ she says.

Leveraging Apple’s advances in digital imaging with the iPhone, each final colour was reviewed for accuracy through the iPhone’s imaging sensor. ‘We took photos with flash to see how the resin would photograph, as the human eye sees resin as whiter,’ says Marcelis, describing the process of manifesting intent into material. ‘But the iPhone captures its purple undertone, which is the true observation and colour spectrum.’

The glow-up extends outside the doors of The Observatory, with a sculpture by Marcelis positioned among a field of native Californian grasses planted across a gentle slope along the Apple campus, operating as both a prismatic sundial and a waypoint marker at the crossroads between The Observatory, the Steve Jobs Theater, and Apple Park itself.

Echoing her 2018 Solo Sundial for watchmaker A Lange & Söhne, Marcelis’ Sundial sculpture for Apple Park is composed of mirror, coloured glass, and powder-coated steel. An ancient instrument reimagined as a nod to Apple’s latest light-bending iOS 26, it transforms the golden Cupertino light into shifting chromatic shadows.

Marcelis’ practice, which fuses material experimentation with a precise finesse, mirroring Apple’s micrometre-measured efforts to realise a single, seamless ‘slab of glass’, has infused a light-hearted, yet precise presence into the minimalist subterranean space of The Observatory. With these installations, Apple and Marcelis together propose architecture, technology and art as a luminous addition to the Apple campus experience.

Sabine Marcelis at Apple Park

A domestic set anchored by a languorous length of seating – a ‘Lisse’ sofa for La Cividina paired with an oak ‘Dew’ table for Arco, both by Marcelis – presents the familiar form of a living room. But the room quickly unmoors: the designer's ‘Soap Columns’ in polyester resin catch daylight, ‘Mini Lenses’ scatter colour, and a large glass slab piece shifts as guests move past.

A procession of chromatic gradient glass sculptures is flanked by resin-lens forms composed of three layers of chromatic gradients – representing, naturally, the silhouettes of iPhones.

Apple.com, SabineMarcelis.com, @Sabine_Marcelis

Last week, on a warm September evening during Amsterdam Fashion Week 2024, there was something of a pre-show buzz in the city's Vondelpark as fashion crowds and a curious public gathered together around the park's central lake. All eyes were fixed on an amorphous cloth-covered structure that sat mysteriously at its centre. On the nearby bank, David Mahyari, the young and charismatic co-founder and CEO of stone brand SolidNature, rounded up a speech to mark its unveiling by declaring that ‘the future belongs to the dreamers’, before the cloth was pulled back to unveil a sculptural fountain made up of three stacked blocks of blue onyx. As water began to flow from the geometric volumes, the crowd cheered. Passersby stopped to pull out their camera phones and dog walkers sat on the grass to listen to the sound of the cascading water as the evening sunlight played on the fountain's silvery blue surfaces.

SolidNature unveils ‘The Vondel Fountain, Stacked’

‘The Vondel Fountain, Stacked’ – which will remain in the Vondelpark for at least three months – is the latest project in a decade-long collaboration between Amsterdam-based SolidNature and Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis. Previous works with the brand include a series of rotating marble and onyx chairs and tables, a freestanding pink onyx bathroom, and a seven-metre-long table and bar made using six different types of travertine.

‘The design process in this case was very interesting,’ explained Mahyari at the launch event. ‘Normally, you start from a design and then you ask 'how many slabs do I need?' But in this specific case, there was material available, and Sabine needed to design around the available material, which was a whole different way of designing.’

The blue onyx slabs Mahyari refers to were originally part of SolidNature’s prize-winning installation by OMA showcased at Milan Design Week 2023. The repurposing of materials is something Mahyari is keen to continue in order to minimise waste and reduce the environmental footprint of the brand's designs. ‘We wanted to create impact by creating a shocking contrast,’ he told the gathered crowd. ‘I would say, with the greenness of the park, you will see that it almost feels artificial. It almost feels like it's AI.’

Indeed, the blue onyx has an artificial element, because the blue colour is created by layering translucent onyx with an aluminium honeycomb structure and painted blue to enhance the natural hue of the stone. The vivid shade was echoed throughout the event; in the clothes worn by models who welcomed guests to the drinks reception, in the cups guests drank from and even the drinks themselves.

‘Water has been a recurring element in my work, acting as both a medium and a source of inspiration,’ says Marcelis, highlighting water’s ability to transform spaces through movement, sound, and ambience. ‘My journey has included designing fountains for renowned institutions and brands, such as the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona and luxury fashion house Fendi.’ she adds. ‘We've done a lot of collaborations with fashion brands and my approach is not dissimilar to that of fashion, creating really interesting silhouettes with beautiful materials. We've done many projects together with SolidNature all over the world for fashion brands, so it feels like a full circle moment to bring it back to Amsterdam this time.’

The theatrical unveiling and collaborative nature of the Vondelpark fountain project is part of a longer-term campaign of Mahyari's to position and operate SolidNature much like a luxury fashion brand. This can be seen in its focus on small-scale product launches, one-off installations and the introduction of trend-led colours and materials.

Artistic collaborations have seen the brand partner with luxury cashmere brand Harden on an apparel collection informed by the different varieties of stone, sculptures with jewellery designer Ward Strootman and seating with Iranian artist Bita Fayyazi. ​

Inspired by fashion houses, Mahyari, who founded the company with his brother in 2011 and took over as CEO in 2018, structured SolidNature's offerings into four tiers: Standard (off-the-shelf tiles), Readymade (cut-to-size tiles for larger projects), Made-to-measure (custom designs for architects), and Bespoke (exclusive services for clients with unique requests, like custom-coloured stone or speciality coatings). This approach allows the brand to offer a full range of tailored services, from standard products to highly specialised projects, similar to the segmentation seen in fashion with ready-to-wear and haute couture.

‘We are unique in that we offer all these services–normally companies only do tiles or specialise in innovation, but not everything. We have the whole package,’ says Mahyari, highlighting some of the company’s more elaborate bespoke projects, like developing a waterproof coating for an onyx pool or injecting pink and green pigments into onyx for Prada Foundation elevators.

It’s the day after the unveiling of Marcelis’ sculpture and Mahyari is back at the brand’s impressive production facility and showroom on the outskirts of Amsterdam. As we walk through the space marveling at the factory machines and vast stone library, he discusses SolidNature’s plans for becoming a zero-waste operation.

He plans to create a circular buy-back system whereby stone used in luxury store fit-outs can be installed in such a way that it can be returned and repurposed at the end of its commercial life; how offcuts in his factory’s ‘stone graveyard’ could be used by young designers, and even ways in which stone dust could be reused.

Already his mind has moved on from the events of yesterday. ‘It’s not that I’m not grateful and happy,’ he reflects. ‘But this is my job – to keep moving things forward. The moment we get comfortable, I need to come in to give it another push, create a whirlwind, and then organise it all again.'

solidnature.com

Sabine Marcelis and Mathmos unveiled a new burgundy Lava Lamp, their second collaboration, previewed at the designer's VitraHaus Loft installation and featuring her distinctive take on colour and texture.

Marcelis' first Lava Lamp made its debut in October 2023 as part of Mathmos' 60th anniversary celebrations, and featured a minimalist take on the popular design with a white matte body and yellow wax 'lava'.

Sabine Marcelis' burgundy Lava Lamp for Mathmos

'I am a big fan of Mathmos’ iconic lava lamps and had so much fun working on our first collaborative design, [so] it felt natural to include an Astro lava lamp in the bedroom at the VitraHaus Loft, and I'm glad we were able to introduce a new limited edition lava lamp to match the colour scheme for the occasion,' says Marcelis.

Through her first collaboration she had aimed at transforming the cult item into 'a vessel for magic', turning the design into a white canvas without a logo or any reflective elements. The new design takes a similar approach, with a matte body and etched glass bottle.

The first Lava Lamp was created in 1963, by British inventor Edward Craven-Walker, and its design has become legendary and a pop classic. See how a Lava Lamp is made here.

'It is a great honour to work with Sabine again after the success of her first collaborative lamp, which sold out within hours last year. I’m sure her new design will be equally popular,' says Mathmos' Cressida Granger.

The burgundy Lava Lamp by Sabine Marcelis will be available in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces from October 2024, £150/€175

sabinemarcelis.com
mathmos.com

Sabine Marcelis created a colourful overhaul for VitraHaus, the German company's jumble of stacked house-shaped volumes in Weil am Rhein, home to its showroom and café. Following the footsteps of Jasper Morrison and Studio Ilse, Marcelis (who had previously collaborated with the Vitra Design Museum on the 2022 exhibition ‘Colour Rush!’) has transformed the building’s top floor, known as the VitraHaus Loft, into a colour-drenched dream home.

A series of buildings and spaces by leading architects, designers and artists, the Vitra Campus is not short of star attractions, from its Frank Gehry-designed museum, Piet Oudolf garden and conference pavilion by Tadao Ando, to the Schaudepot showroom and flagship VitraHaus, both by Herzog & de Meuron (who hail from neighbouring Basel, just across the Swiss border).

Sabine Marcelis' colourful VitraHaus interiors

Unlike her predecessors, to redesign this large, rectangular space she has not taken inspiration from imaginary characters but from her own domestic setting, a spacious former paper factory in Rotterdam’s beautifully named Coolhaven neighbourhood.

‘The philosophy behind the design closely mirrors how we created our family home,’ explains Marcelis. ‘It features a large open space divided into functional ones, delineated by colour. We then blended my creations with those of other designers, artists, and of course, Vitra furniture to create a cohesive whole.’

Smartly organised yet highly imaginative, the space harnesses the power of seven colours and a rich layering of different materials to create real warmth and personality. Dotted with artworks by the likes of Maria Pratts and Carlijn Jacobs, the resulting space certainly feels both elegant and homely. ‘The colours used in the VitraHaus Loft are personal favourites,’ Marcelis says. ‘I like these colours and never tire of them, which makes them timeless for me. I think this attitude is important for anyone creating their own home.’

‘The tones and hues Sabine has used are recognisable from the natural, organic world and they have a rich interaction with the various spaces – things are connected but do not all perfectly match,’ explains Till Weber, creative director of interiors & scenography at Vitra.

Highlights include a pink bathroom and a cool mint green living room, where Jasper Morrison’s ‘Soft’ sofa creates a cosy lounge area. ‘The original sofa system is generally used to create L shapes, and we’ve just merged it all to form this enveloping pit,’ says Marcellis. ‘I think it’s so important to have a good lounge. It can be really fun – I have a lounge pit at home as well, and it’s the core of the house. It’s so good to just jump in there.’

New limited edition Panton Chairs by Sabine Marcelis

The seven key colours used throughout the space – Bubblegum, Butter, Honeydew, Caramel, Harissa, Plum and Oyster – have also inspired the launch of limited editions of Verner Panton’s classic ‘Panton’ chair (available in seven different colours) and compact ‘Visiona’ stool (in four fabric colours), both on display in the VitraHaus Loft.

‘For the ‘Visiona’ stool, we are offering very different types of upholstery finishes alongside the individual colours, says Marcelis. ‘This ranges from faux fur made from angora goat’s wool designed by Raf Simons to leather and everything in between, giving each piece a very distinct personality.’

Sabine Marcelis’ VitraHaus Loft is on show from 12 June 2024. The limited-edition ‘Panton’ chair and ‘Visiona’ stool (limited to 50 pieces per cover material and colour) will be available from 12 June 2024 at the VitraHaus on the Vitra Campus and vitra.com

Since 1927, the 1000 Miglia race has seen fleets of colourful vintage cars speed across the rolling Italian countryside, spending an entire week driving to Rome and back. It traditionally starts in the beautiful city of Brescia in Lombardy, just a stone’s throw away from the 13th-century Palazzo Monti, a cultural centre which has collaborated with Dutch designer and Sabine Marcelis to produce the race’s latest trophies and medals.

Mille Miglia 2024 trophy by Sabine Marcelis

The new cups and medals for the classic Mille Miglia race were designed by Marcelis under the curation of Edoardo Monti, a collector and curator from Bergamo who launched the Palazzo Monti residency programme in 2017. Home to a series of workshops and studios, the palazzo has welcomed over 250 artists from 50 different countries since, and recently hosted a pop-up hotel by Danish brand Vipp and art installations organised by Copenhagen studio Frama.

Marcelis’ trophy and medal designs were created for the 42nd edition of the 1000 Miglia race – the original took place 24 times between 1927 to 1957, and since 1977 has been revived regularly (with only vehicles produced no later than 1957 allowed to take part). It is the third consecutive year Marcelis, Wallpaper* 2020 Designer of the Year, has collaborated with Monti and the classic race organisers.

Created in her studio in Rotterdam, the new cup is inspired by ‘the iconic shapes of the trophies of the first editions and celebrates the deep and lasting bond between pilot and co-pilot.’ It is made up of two elements, ‘each a symbol of the two protagonists: a singular object when separated, but complete only when united.’

The medals, awarded to the first 30 cars classified, feature ‘a red background layer representing the race itinerary and a transparent surface layer showing the order of arrival, the race logo and the dates’. Red is a key colour of the race – its symbol, the freccia rossa or red arrow, adorned the Venini glass trophies Marc Newson designed for the 2018-2021 races, which similarly played with transparency and light.

Light gives Marcelis’ translucent resin creations a dynamic appearance that aims to recall the speed of the cars. ‘The transparency of the materials, sometimes crystalline, other times milky, illuminates the edges of the cups and medals, culminating in a riot of changing colours that give the red of the 1000 Miglia unique nuances,’ write long-term collaborators Marcelis and Monti.

The pair met in 2018, during an artistic residency at Palazzo Monti with the Etage Projects gallery. Since then they have worked together on numerous projects, including an installation at the Hotel de la Ville in Rome. Their other 1000 Miglia creations include more cups and medals but also a 2023 large-scale installation that reinterpreted eight elements of the car, such as tyres, steering wheel and shock absorbers, on the occasion of Brescia and Bergamo Capital of Culture.

palazzomonti.orgsabinemarcelis.com1000miglia.it

Observing nature without harming it is something that naturalists have struggled to do for centuries. Thankfully, we have moved on from pickling specimens and mounting butterflies to ship them across the world, and the new Exopack research vessel is a case in point. 

A project by Deep, a young organisation that straddles the worlds of culture and ecology to build radical biodiversity infrastructure, the Exopack was developed in collaboration with Brazilian insect researchers Projeto Mantis and Rotterdam-based Studio Sabine Marcelis, winner of the Wallpaper* Designer of the Year award in 2020.

This full life-cycle enclosure allows for the ethical collection, transportation, housing and scientific observation of live insect specimens collected from the field in the world’s most biodiverse and remote ecosystems, such as the Amazon rainforest. 

Exopack by Deep and Sabine Marcelis

The Dutch design team had to consider key elements such as weight (the scientific expeditions are often month-long and aim to study hundreds of specimens), assembly (a flat-pack model means it can be carried easily on even the most remote expeditions), and reliability (there is no spare parts online deliveries in the actual Amazon).

Another requirement was a clear side panel to allow for observation of the exotic insects, and another, opaque side so that insects would not spot each other, allowing to create a more lab-like environment. Plus, the entire pack had to be made of inexpensive and readily available materials.

The resulting lightweight Exopack features a 3D-printed armature made of reclaimed slate biofilament, which comes with matching pieces that can be added or removed to adapt the internal size of the enclosure to the scientists’ needs.

Studio Sabine Marcelis also deployed its signature colour fades and gradients – more typically used on designs such as 2016’s ‘Hue’ mirror with Brit van Nerven, a series of resin fountains for Fendi 2018, or a 2023 lava lamp for Mathmos – on a PET film which serves as the catchment membrane for insect collection and feeding.

In November 2023, Deep field tested the Exopack with Projeto Mantis on an expedition to the Viruá National Park in the Brazilian Amazon, supported by the National Geographic Society. With over 90 hours of nocturnal fieldwork, it was a scientific success: the team spotted over 30 mantis species from 24 different genera, including at least one new mantis species, and a wide variety of unique camouflages, including dead leaf, stick and bark.

Founded in 2020 in Como, Italy, Deep aims to promote radical scientific and artistic collaboration in order to develop radical biodiversity infrastructure to empower life on earth. ‘We believe there is no return to nature, only evolution,’ says its mission statement. So far it has executed large-scale bioacoustics surveys powered by machine learning, supported community-led resource management strategies, and built bespoke air quality monitoring platforms.

Deep is currently looking into how to deploy more Exopacks in a series of expeditions to expand insect knowledge, and working on designing AI-enabled biodiversity monitoring systems. Its next fieldwork mission will be to the Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia – one of the world’s oldest jungles and home to the Sumatran tiger, rhinoceros, elephant and orangutan.

deepenergies.com
sabinemarcelis.com

For our 2024 horoscope, we asked Italian astrologist Lumpa for a detailed reading of each star sign's fortunes, and the design objects that identify them:

Lumpa: Happy 2024 everyone! Before proceeding to the annual destinies of the individual signs, I’d like to say something about the year ahead. 2024 is a leap year, and 29 February will be a day full of lucky surprises for some (and unlucky for others). It is a year marked by the transit of Saturn in the sign of Pisces, like in 1994, 1995 and 1996, so it will be easy to notice similarities with those years. So if you were born with Saturn in Pisces, or in the years mentioned above (but also between 1964 and 1966), watch out, as you might easily enter into crisis.

Unlike 2023, which was a very slow year, 2024 will seem to pass very quickly, because Mars and Venus will not retrograde (well, at least until December, let's say). It is a condition that can result in new love, and that makes couples thrive.

It will also be a Chinese Year of the Dragon, which according to tradition should bring rain after periods of drought (and possibly more children).

Wallpaper* 2024 horoscope by Lumpa

Aries

Even if early January is a bit annoying, a very important and beautiful year is about to begin for Aries. It could even be the first of a series, because future years will bring more growth. The year will be defined by a great life change and the beginning of a new cycle of luck. A wish is about to come true, in your emotional or professional life: you saw the first signs of it in 2023, even if that was still a tiring, stressful year. In 2024, you are going to consolidate a new step – it could be a new life, a new career, an important family event, or something in your private sphere. Children are on the way for many Aries. Signs of improvement will be noticed as early as February and March, with a peak in the birthday season. One of the happiest months will be August.

Design for Aries: Aries enjoy bold and colourful pieces – sometimes their choices can be playful or flashy. We picked a classic of Sottsass' Memphis era, a cacophony of colours and shapes. 

Taurus

Many Taureans will feel that just making it to 2024 is an achievement. Recent years have been difficult on many fronts: at work, as a couple, even in health. For many, self-esteem and personal power need to be recovered. The new year ushers in greater strength, physical health and even a bit of luck: the recovery begins. This is a year in which Jupiter will be in your sign and Saturn in your favour, a perfect condition for recovering energy. However, there are also changes to be made; in work, it is necessary to take a new direction and leave your comfort zone, something that is always a little difficult at first, but which will then succeed well. Overall, it is a good year for finances. Even in the area of affection, there is greater wellbeing – anyone looking for a partner, or just wanting someone alongside them, will find what they need.

Design for Taurus: When it comes to interior design, Taureans are big spenders. Always enjoying the most expensive pieces, their style is very classy and sober. Gio Ponti's classic designs feel like a natural fit for this discerning star sign. 

Gemini

2024 will be a memorable year for Geminis, mostly a lucky year, but not entirely easy to manage. Saturn in Pisces is in a critical position and the bearer of changes that are not always easy to implement. Saturn usually brings break-ups, at work and in love, and more generally, challenges personal growth. It is the planet that makes us age, as it brings mental heaviness. This year's events are somehow related to what happened in 2016/17, two critical years. However, there is also good news: the changes brought by Saturn can prove difficult to live with, but positive for your career, and indicate the moment in which you can make a real leap forward. Of course, nothing is free; it all depends on how serious and responsible you have been in recent years. What guarantees that things will go well is mostly the presence of Jupiter in Gemini, always a carrier of luck (and often new love). Those who have the courage to change will be rewarded.

Design for Gemini: Geminis discover new trends and embrace new concepts before everyone else: they fall in love with ideas and stories and their style is in constant evolution. Among the past year's design innovations that they would love is Samuel Ross' bathroom faucet evolution for Kohler. 

Cancer

The beginning of the year might not seem exciting, just as the arrival of the previous autumn was already stressful. 2024, however, is a lucky year, even very lucky for some Cancerians. Saturn and Jupiter are in favourable signs, indicating that there will be important positive news for feelings and finances. For many it is the beginning of a new life – perhaps they have changed jobs, cities, or have become parents (or are about to!), and sometimes the adjustment will be the cause of stress. There is some difficulty in January, and towards April and May. This is a very eventful year, in which there will be a lot of work and a lot of positive feedback. It will often be easy to lose patience, and the commitments will be many.

Design for Cancer: Cancerians love their homes; they're the couch potatoes of the zodiac and surround themselves with cosy and comfortable pieces. We've been eyeing this collaboration between Italian mill Lanerossi and Milan Triennale, resulting in a series of blankets that are a perfect mix of craft, culture and comfort. 

Leo

Leos will find that the future is easier to manage compared to the past couple of years. People of this sign have matured a lot, thanks to complex events and situations that have undermined much of their proverbial personal security. 2024 brings a comeback, but there are still issues to settle, and unexpected events. There will be periods that are not easy to manage, such as February/March and July/August, defined by great impatience. As soon as you understand what is limiting your freedom and find a way to resolve it (perhaps by changing your home, job, or partner), everything will be resolved. Some problems could come from someone you consider a friend, and I recommend you be careful not to take the trust you place in others for granted, because there is the risk of feeling betrayed and disappointed.

Design for Leo: Leos love to show off. They are allergic to mediocrity and choose objects and furniture that express their sense of grandeur. One of modern design's most impressive pieces, the Albero bookcase is both ingenious and sophisticated. 

Virgo

2023 was a tough year for many Virgos. There might have been physical tiredness, health problems, and a multitude of conflicts to manage. 2024 is less belligerent, less tiring, but nevertheless, there will still be things to manage. Saturn is in the sign of Pisces, therefore in opposition. There is a big change that must be faced to regain serenity. It is most likely to do with work, and Virgo is a sign that is always very slow to resign, tending to feel paralysed when faced with risks. The advice is not to wait until you are at your limit to abandon a suffocating situation. In other cases, problems may concern your love life; with Saturn opposite, we often break up. 2023 put relationships through a great stress test, so those who find themselves in a critical emotional situation are probably already aware of it. In 2024, there should be no bad surprises, only important issues to react to.

Design for Virgo: Virgos do a lot of thinking and rethinking before buying. They hate aesthetic arrogance and prefer a minimalist style. Their love for all things vintage made us pick this Ikea cabinet, timeless, modern and essential.  

Libra

I am optimistic for Librans in 2024. I have seen people of the sign mature a lot in recent times and become less self-centred, more aware and wise. There have been many changes in the relationships field, among partners and friends, resulting in a restyling of personal networks. In late 2023, Librans entered a new cycle of life; they have new goals, new allies and a newfound mental independence, and getting to this point wasn't easy (in many cases, relationships ended with suffering). 2024 is a carte blanche on which to begin reimagining your life. There will be new partnerships, in work, in love, and in the world of friendships. Rewriting your life requires great energy, first at the beginning of the year, and again in spring, times which will be intense. In short, 2024 will be a beautiful, but also tiring, year of construction, when important loves can blossom.

Design for Libra: Librans are known for their good taste in design, leaning towards sophisticated minimalism, and enjoy unique pieces known only to the few. They'd appreciate how special this chess set is, designed in 1950 by Carl Auböck and meticulously crafted by hand by the legend's descendants in their Vienna workshop. 

Scorpio

I am happy to be able to write a nice 2024 horoscope for Scorpios: you deserve it after some difficult years. The recent period has left you a little tired, from criticism and conflict at work, and disappointments in your love life. 2024 is the year when you feel more spirited, eager to show the world that difficulties stimulate you rather than take you down. There is a healthy desire to want more: more money, more love, more success – and you'll begin to see the results. The year begins well in January, with determination and planning, and generally continues well, but you will see cyclical setbacks in early March, early July, and even in August. These are useful in making you understand that to truly get more from life, you must also question parts of yourself that you didn't think you wanted to change. Pay attention when you feel impatient or suffocated – that’s when you will understand what you have to leave behind. Scorpios in their thirties must also pay attention to friendships: some people are not as good friends as they say they are.

Design for Scorpio: Scorpios love secrets and mysterious objects. Their taste can have an erotic touch, because they love to play with taboos. Fornasetti's expansive collection of ornate ceramics is their cup of tea, especially the designs at the more humorously kinky end of the spectrum. 

Sagittarius

2023 was a tiring year and Sagittarians will be hoping that 2024 helps them regain confidence. The year ahead will certainly be better, with less tiredness and fewer conflicts. However, Saturn is in a critical position, so there are still difficult issues to deal with. Saturn in Pisces brings a desire for solitude and, in some way, will dampen the enthusiasm and sociability of Sagittarians. It's a moment for introspection; trust this feeling and take advantage of it to look inside yourself. Other problems can come from the economic sphere; it would be better not to spend too much and to take good care of your accounts. At work, it is time to think about a change of direction and, for many, it will be easy to end professional relationships. Finally, the conditions in love are not the best and there could be crises, break-ups or, worse, the beginning of unhealthy relationships. A cycle that began around 2016 is about to end. March and April are the most difficult months.

Design for Sagittarius: Sagittarians don't think twice when it comes to buying, and they're heavy decorators. They enjoy dreamy objects with a history, and shy away from minimalism. We picked a Moroccan rug for them, a vintage piece featuring an abstract Berber design that is sure to be a showstopper in their home. 

Capricorn

2024 for Capricorns begins with great determination; there is a desire to do things and new projects are starting. A beautiful year begins with positive surprises and general growth; it's a good year for finances and for loved ones. The balance is very positive, but there will be moments of stress and tiredness. You seem committed to a new life project, and 2024 feels like a sort of year zero: everything will be under construction. A lucky event will surprise you towards the beginning of April, and its management will keep you very busy for the following two months. This will be trying on a physical level and will test your patience. As always, luck and prosperity never come free, and there will be a certain amount of effort to be made: it could be moving and even changing city. For others, there may be children on the way. Capricorn is not a sign that fears physical fatigue, but is more stressed when dealing with new things or doing something for the first time, in unknown territory. Arm yourself with patience: it will be a beautiful year.

Design for Capricorn: Extreme functionalism is key for Capricorns, who prefer old-school objects without ostentation. A contemporary turntable is the perfect match for them, utilitarian and nostalgic. 

Aquarius

Aquarians leave behind some difficult years, which have made them mature and acquire wisdom. From the birthday season, there will be a real restart. March and April will find you very busy, always at work. The second half of the year, from June, will be peaceful and bring some good news. There is the possibility of new loves, and those who find themselves in bad or unclear relationships will find the possibility of ‘jumping on a better train’, especially in June. Many understood what wasn't working in their lives in the summer of 2023, and 2024 is here to bring a turning point to that dissatisfaction. Aquarians are often slow to process changes, but this year, at a certain point, they will find an edge, greater confidence and therefore also the courage to assert themselves. Finances will also be positively affected by this change in attitude.

Design for Aquarius: Aquarians avoid the mainstream – they're the non-conformists of the zodiac. They enjoy concepts more than aesthetics and fall in love with designs with a twist – like these sunset lamps that add a mysterious glow to a room. 

Pisces

Everything that could have gone into crisis did so in 2023, a truly difficult year for Pisceans. There were conflicts, misunderstandings, physical exhaustion, and worry for yourself or others. 2024 will not reverse the situation 180 degrees, but it will be less trying on a psychophysical level. The problems that emerged in 2023 now need to be resolved. The first thing is to stop taking on other people's problems and emotions and put yourself first. Another important thing will be to ask for clarity and to always tell the truth; be transparent. You are in a period of personal growth, new developments in your career, and a general moment of maturation. However, none of this should be taken for granted, so the advice is to pay close attention to your mistakes, because they will not go unnoticed. The birthday season will be very important.

Design for Pisces: Pisceans have a particular sensitivity for beauty. They are very visual and imaginative, and feel the energy of spaces and objects. Sabine Marcelis' pastel resin and marble combo contributes to the soft atmosphere of their ideal interiors. 

Welcome to our November Art issue! Headlining are two cultural superstars – Takashi Murakami with a potent mix of pandemic-inspired creatures, eye-popping flowers, NFTs, avatars and 17th-century Japanese motifs for his latest show at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and Ryan Murphy, the prolific film and TV producer, who takes us on a tour of his offices, which were inspired by the glamour and hedonism of American fashion designer Halston, as brought to life in the Netflix mini-series Halston, which Murphy executive produced.

Then on to more fantasy interiors with our vision of shared public spaces – including a dream canteen, an outdoor escape and the hotshot’s hideaway. We take a peek at three sculptural houses that highlight the tactile qualities of concrete. Located in Mexico, Canada and Belgium, they treat architecture as a volumetric exercise, sometimes appearing monolithic, while others take more elaborate, articulated forms.

We celebrate 20 years of the Frieze Art Fair with an exclusive interview with Eva Langret, director of Frieze London, and create our very own private view with an art-inspired fashion shoot at the David Zwirner Gallery, London, set against a backdrop of works by Brazilian artist Odoteres Ricardo de Ozias. Art’s most provocative duo Gilbert & George present their vibrant vision of the ‘Lady Dior’ bag, while Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis shows us her take on the iconic (and ironic) 1960s lava lamp. 

Finally, we visit the blockbuster Chanel exhibition at London’s V&A, which explores the six-decade-long career of the legendary French couturier. We were granted privileged access to the collection, and hand-picked six exquisite evening gowns from the 1930s, which we photographed as fashion as art, and which perfectly capture the timeless elegance of Chanel. I hope you enjoy the issue!

Sarah Douglas
Editor-in-Chief

The November 2023 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print from 5 October, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Sabine Marcelis never had a lava lamp growing up, but seeing one at her friend’s house kickstarted her fascination for design from an early age. ‘I would just stare at it, I was fascinated by its magical dance,’ recalls Marcelis (Wallpaper* Designer of the Year 2020). ‘I couldn't understand how they worked, what was inside them; they looked like alien creatures. It's maybe even the first design I witnessed that wasn't purely functional; a lamp, but also an art piece.’

Sabine Marcelis Lava Lamp: ‘a vessel for magic’

This year, she was invited by Mathmos, maker of the original lava lamp, to interpret the design classic on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. The only brief: the shape had to remain faithful to the original, distinctive rocket-like silhouette that has defined the Astro Lava Lamp design for six decades. As usual in her designs – among them the recent Ikea ‘Varmblixt’ collection – Marcelis’ own criteria included creating something timeless and unexpected, focusing on the effect more than the design itself.

Her lava lamp successfully merges her unique sensibility for colour, light and visual effects with the original design’s ultra-recognisable features. ‘I wanted to strip the housing of as much identity as possible by turning it into a blank white canvas: no logo, no gloss finish to reflect its surroundings, just a vessel to house the magic within,’ she says. The lamp looks all-white when turned off (perfectly achieving that alien look Marcelis admired from the lamps of her childhood), a vibrant yellow hue appears once lit up.

Despite being very simple in its formula (a food-grade glass bottle is filled with wax and water in contrasting colours for the magic to happen), the lamp’s mechanics have always been surrounded by a mysterious aura. ‘I wanted to enhance the idea of mystery by etching the bottle so that the lava liquid becomes veiled behind a haze,’ she continues. ‘The movement is made more subtle and the light is diffused as a pleasant atmospheric light. I feel like this was really an exercise in how to add my signature to something that already has such a strong signature.’

Limited edition of 600 pieces, and each piece is numbered. Each lamp will be £130 / 150EU,and available exclusively from Mathmos

mathmos.com

A version of this article appears in the November 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print from 5 October, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

For Sabine Marcelis’ latest collaboration with La Prairie, the Swiss brand that transforms some of the world’s most precious ingredients – caviar, diamonds, platinum – into luxury skincare products, the designer has created a sculptural display tray and applicator to accompany its Skin Caviar Luxe Cream.

Marcelis is best known for her innovative approach to diffusing light. Idiosyncratic shapes crafted in resin and glass are made soft and welcoming through playful, reflective and translucent effects – see her donut-shaped lighting for her Ikea 'Varmblixt' collection, or her glass and stone intervention at the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Pavilion.

She has collaborated numerous times with La Praire, including in 2019, when she served as a mentor to six students taking part in the La Prairie x ECAL competition for young designers; and in 2022, when she mentored five young female artists taking part in the La Priaire-sponsored, The Women Bauhaus collective, which aimed to celebrate and perpetuate the legacy of the women behind the Bauhaus movement. 

Sabine Marcelis interprets La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream

This year, Marcelis debuted her most ambitious collaboration with the brand yet: an installation at Art Basel 2023, inspired by La Prairie’s new Skin Caviar Luxe Cream and its distinctive blue packaging.

She created an immersive experience, The Colbalt House, which invited visitors to enter a cobalt glass-walled corridor that led to a second, cream-coloured space filled with some of her designs (including her first-ever sofa).

‘As with all my projects, materiality is the most important player and inspiration. The two spaces can only exist because of the material qualities exploited in both settings,’ says Marcelis of the installation.

‘The cold, intense blue glass even [adds to] the acoustic experience, where sound bounces around the hard-surfaced geometric grid of panels. And [then there’s] the contrasting super-organic cream interior with objects void of any sharp edges, made from a variety of soft and veloury fabrics. The material tactility, the acoustics, the colour, the way the space envelops the visitors – it all plays a role in the total experience.’

Next up from the collaboration is Marcelis’ capsule collection of objects to accompany the new Skin Caviar Luxe Cream, which launches in September 2023 exclusively at Selfridges. The new iteration of the cream comes in two distinct textures – a Luxe Cream that is rich and velvety, and a Luxe Cream Sheer that is light and airy. Marcelis has designed a display tray and a stone applicator that nestles inside.

‘This was the first time for me to work on a product that is in such close proximity to the body,’ says Marcelis. ‘The capsule collection includes a spatula to apply the cream with. It also acts as a gua sha tool. We had to make sure the material (natural stone) was completely suitable for use on the skin. 

‘This was the most challenging part for me, as the decision is completely out of your hands – the lab test results defined whether we could use the stone or not – luckily, the test results were in our favour! 

‘I think you are always racing a bit against time with projects like this  – but there is nothing quite like a good deadline to give a project the right momentum. It was an absolute pleasure to work with the La Prairie team and I’m very proud of what we achieved.’ 

laprairie.com

Hot on the heels of Mathieu Lehanneur’s Suite N°4, an interior redesign based on the classic Renault 4L and Pierre Gonalons’ Renault 5 Diamant, the manufacturer has turned to another cutting-edge artist and designer to reimagine one of their more contemporary classic models. 

Sabine Marcelis’ Renault Twingo

Sabine Marcelis has tackled the Twingo, the cult city car first introduced in the early 1990s when Patrick Le Quément was Renault’s legendary head of design. A micro-sized monobox design, the Twingo embodied an era of full-on Gallic automotive eccentricity (something the subsequent Twingo, which shared a platform with the Ford Ka, failed to replicate), a quality lost for generations. 

The Dutch designer has been drafted in to celebrate the Twingo’s 30th anniversary, reshaping and reimagining the compact machine as an electric concept that accentuates the single-volume silhouette with its distinctive semi-circular headlights and modular interior. 

Transparency is the key to Marcelis’ approach, treating the body panels as if they were luminous and backlit, revealing the soft lines of their structural mouldings.

Inside, Marcelis’ ongoing experiments with light have been allowed free reign, with an interior broken down into solid volumes interspersed with translucent red details and a backlit dashboard.

‘I love the quirky details of the Twingo – the “frog eyes” for example,’ says Marcelis. ‘My challenge was to elevate them without losing their unique identity and to bring all elements into a more luxurious realm, activated by light and materiality.’ The interior of the original car was exceptionally spacious, especially by today’s standards, despite its ultra-compact footprint. ‘It was a fantastic opportunity, and a new field of exploration for me, as I'd never designed a car before,’ the designer continues. ‘Working on such an iconic and popular car was a real challenge, especially given the scale of the project.’

Renault describes the collaboration as ‘unique and unexpected’, preserving the best qualities of this diminutive machine without compromising Marcelis’ own artistic vision. By fitting the concept with an electric motor (the Twingo debuted with Renault’s venerable Cléon-Fonte petrol engine, a design that dated back to the early 1960s), the company has aligned one of its most iconic nameplates with the brand’s ongoing quest for electrification. 

‘[I wanted to] strip elements back to their essence and push the theme of mono-materiality even further by turning some elements into mono-elements, like the sunshade and front seats, which have been turned into singular elements,’ Marcelis explains. ‘And the body and windows are also all one single materiality.’ 

François Farion, Renault’s director of design, innovation and sustainability, describes it as a ‘carte blanche programme’. 

‘From the beginning, the role of project management was not to intervene in the designer’s view of the Twingo, but to provide automotive background, and try to make everything Sabine designed possible,’ he says. ‘We wanted to create an object that would still be a car: it is electric; it is not road-legal but can be driven; the incredible steering-wheel works, even if you hit a curb (which we did to test the robustness of the prototype!).’ 

Above all, Sabine Marcelis has stayed faithful to the overall spirit of the Twingo, even as she has transformed its materiality and functional appearance. ‘It has the lines and proportions that remind people of the original, iconic silhouette,’ Farion says, ‘lines which maximise the feeling of space. Sabine has not only embraced this but enhanced it through her work on structure/transparency, and incredible interior purity/simplicity.’ 

SabineMarcelis.com, Renault.co.uk

In a glass-walled meeting room overlooking the production floor of stone company SolidNature’s Amsterdam headquarters, CEO David Mahyari is recounting his brand's first big break. 'OMA came by looking for some specific travertines that they hadn’t been able to find,' he recalls. During their visit, partners Rem Koolhaas and Ellen van Loon found not only the travertine they had been looking for but also another stone that they even more urgently needed, for the National Library of Qatar, which they were in the midst of designing. 'It was two or three months before we had even officially registered the company,' says Mahyari, whose brother founded the SolidNature in 2011 before handing over the reins to the thirty-something-year-old CEO in 2018. 'So the relationship started before we officially did.' 

That serendipitous discovery spawned a nearly decade-long relationship (as well as Fondazione Prada's iconic dyed-pink onyx elevator) and for Milan Design Week 2023, SolidNature has once again collaborated with the Dutch firm. This time for their exhibition, 'Beyond The Surface', which will see OMA recreate the journey of quarrying, finishing and crafting stone through an allegorical experience that compares the industrial process to the act of dreaming. 

SolidNature presents 'Beyond the Surface' at Milan Design Week 2023

Set in the basement of the neo-Romanesque Casa Maveri, a private villa in Brera, visitors will venture below ground, and into the realm of sleep, passing through a series of illusory installations that respond to themes such as ‘Confrontation’, ‘Revelation’ and ‘Patience’ – each exhibiting various 'treatments, applications and approaches of designing with natural stone,' says OMA senior architect Giulio Margheri – before emerging into the daylight and consciousness in the home’s sprawling garden.

From our conference room view, we watch a team of men at the opposite end of the building prepare pieces that will soon be shipped to Milan. Engulfed in clouds of marble dust that settle like snow on their black uniforms, they’re carving out the shape of a reclining woman, which will become an anthropomorphic seat designed by the Iranian artist Bita Fayyazi. The sculpture will live in the villa’s garden, alongside an undulating bench titled ‘The Wave’, also by Fayyazi, an installation inspired by Elizabethan theatres by Studio Ossidiana and a party-ready table in glass and travertine by Sabine Marcelis.

This will be the second time the Rotterdam-based Marcelis has joined SolidNature in Milan. At Alcova in 2022, she presented a monolithic bathroom system carved entirely out of pink onyx. However, the designer’s relationship with the company stretches back to 2019, when she called on them to develop the travertine elements in her ‘No Fear of Glass’ exhibition at Barcelona’s Mies van der Rohe Pavilion. This year, Marcelis wanted to create an object visitors could interact with, so she took it upon herself to devise a buffet table and bar that could take centre stage during the week’s events – while also revisiting the same glass and travertine palette she and SolidNature explored four years ago.

The ten-foot-long glass tabletop is marked by a gradient pattern that subtly shifts from yellow to orange to red. The glass is propped up by a series of mismatched stone legs that extrude like islands through the transparent pane, and whose natural tone reflects their corresponding section of the gradient. 'I was trying to find that tension between the manmade and the natural,' she explains of the concept. 'I really wanted to showcase what different ideas can bring to the same materials.' 

Marcelis then shaped the tops of the stone pillars to act as serving platters – for example, milling out concave wells for cradling ice – for staging a conceptual feast by culinary artist Laila Gohar. According to Marcelis, the edible installation will respond to the table’s warm-toned hues. 'Every aspect of the project was determined by the colour palette,' she adds. 'Including the food.'

'The main objective for us as a company is to push boundaries and change the perspective of how we normally use stone and what kind of stones we use,' Mahyari reflects on the nature of the collaboration with the architects, artists and designers who will represent the brand Milan. 'The reason why it works so well is because when they come up with an idea – it is never no. It's always OK, let's try.'

SolidNature - Beyond the Surface is on view from 17 to 23 April 2023

Via Cernaia 1
Milan

solidnature.com

Ikea and Sabine Marcelis' much-anticipated 'Varmblixt' collection is now available online. Originally previewed during Milan Design Week 2022, the collection is fronted by two LED lights with a broader collection of home accessories and glassware now added to the lineup. 

Sabine Marcelis' 'Varmblixt' collection for Ikea is formed of 19 pieces, comprising a series of limited-edition pieces as well as 4 LED lighting designs that will remain part of Ikea's collection long-term. These include a donut shaped table/wall lamp made of orange glass; a pendant lamp; a circular wall lamp and a wall lamp that doubles as a mirror.

'I wanted to take an unexpected approach to exploring the idea of how lighting functions within the home and to inspire people to consider new shapes and elements which blend into and highlight different types of interior spaces in new, bold, and artistic ways,' says Marcelis upon launching the Ikea collection. 

Sabine Marcelis Ikea collection: from lighting to glassware

As well as the lighting, the 'Varmblixt' collection includes glassware such as a vase, champagne coupes and 35ml glasses, glass drink stirrers and carafes, donut-shaped glass bowls with lids in green and amber, paper napkins and low pile rugs in orange gradient inspired by sunsets, glass shelves and trays as well as coffee tables that mimic the designer's popular Candy Cubes.

‘When I select designers [I ask them], “What do you have on your mind? What is your vision? What do you want to change in this world?”’ explains Henrik Most, creative leader at Ikea. ‘For me, it's about finding the original signature a designer has, and what it is that separates this person from others. [But] the question is: “How do you define originality?” As an aesthetic person, I hope I have a feeling for when somebody has an originality that stands out. With Sabine, I recognised it from the beginning.’ 

For the collection, Marcelis sought to create a piece focused on art and emotion and that had life far beyond functionality. ‘[Light] is a very powerful tool to design with, because you can drastically change how you experience a space just by the temperature of the light, or the way it highlights different parts of the architecture it’s placed in,’ she says. 

According to Most, the ‘open-minded’ conversation, which began virtually during the pandemic, led to a ‘bunch of ideas’; wide-ranging in concept and geometry. ‘It was a very tempting menu that she presented,’ says Most. ‘It was super hard to choose. So we went through all the concepts, and the functions and tried to narrow it down to sync to kind of a curational thread where light, material and colour were the focus.’ 

The standout piece of the ‘Varmblixt’ collection – and one that garnered much attention when the collection was first previewed – is a circular wall lamp, the top of which appears to ‘bounce’ off the wall creating a dramatic glow behind. The minimal lamps, previewed in linear and circular versions, can either be configured in multiples or as single wall pieces. When turned off, they can function as sculptures in their own right. ‘The concept was to take a singular line, and to gently pull it off the surface it would be mounted on. And that gap would allow for a void of light to flood on the surface’, says Marcelis. ‘Maximum impact with minimal materials.’ 

ikea.com

Sabine Marcelis unveiled a collection of ten swivelling marble seats scattered across St Giles Square, commissioned by London Design Festival 2022 to bring the public space to life. In its 20 years, London Design Festival has made it its mission to make design accessible through dynamic installations that encourage the public to discover and interact with design. 

‘The biggest change in the past 20 years has been the audience: there's been a profound change in their knowledge and enthusiasm for design: it reinforces doing public design stuff,’ says festival director Ben Evans. ‘But visitors [to the London Design Festival] are not all design enthusiasts, they are people who come across it, and we can introduce a design story to them, and trigger something.’

Marcelis’ installation certainly fits the bill: the ‘playground of seats’ features rotating chairs in two-tone marbles defined by candy hues, adding a new layer to the square. 

Sabine Marcelis London Design Festival installation

The aim of the installation, Marcelis notes, is to inject the square with colour and movement. ‘It's a space of transition, with different entrance and exit points connecting the underground, commercial areas, hospitality, as well as historical sites. I wanted to keep that feeling of movement and transition but simultaneously allow a moment of rest and interaction in this square.’ 

The relatively new square sits behind the recently restored Centre Point, a space of transition, whose monochromatic, grey palette inspired Marcelis to experiment with a plethora of colourful marbles. Her chosen palette features a mix of travertines, quartzite and marbles, with colours ranging from green, red, yellow, blue, to purple, each heavily textured. 

‘This project, as with most of my work, is a celebration of materials,’ comments Marcelis, who in her career has often created striking colour effects with resin, glass and natural stone. ‘I wanted to respond to the space by injecting a bit of colour and fun into this urban environment. Deliberately choosing a natural material in a range of colours, I wanted to create a strong contrast with the surrounding architecture and the man-made material palette.’

The seats are presented in pairs and encourage play and interaction. ‘Sabine developed something that is robust and tough, but has a movement to it and it’s been great to see people come and interact with them,’ continues Evans. 

‘Being an interactive piece, it welcomes audiences to decide how they would like to experience the space,’ adds Marcelis. ‘It could encourage strangers to interact with each other, for friends to sit together or even allow people to create a moment of pause for themselves.’

INFORMATION

Swivel is on view until November 2022
sabinemarcelis.com

ADDRESS

St Giles Square
London

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London Design Festival 2022 featured a rich programme of installations, exhibitions and events throughout the city. 

‘We consciously founded the London Design Festival to be public spirited,’ says London Design Festival chairman Sir John Sorrell. ‘Over the last 20 years, the Festival has had incredible depth of penetration and success in bringing people together and distilling new ideas.’

London Design Festival 2022 Landmark Projects

Every year, the London Design Festival Landmark Projects let the public discover design through the city’s key locations. This year, Sabine Marcelis took over St Giles Square with an interactive installation featuring swivelling seats in contrasting stones and marbles. With the brutalist architecture of Centrepoint as the backdrop, Marcelis’ pieces invite people to stop and play, using the public space in new ways, and will remain in situ until November. 

‘This project, as with most of my work, is a celebration of materials. I wanted to respond to the space by injecting a bit of colour and fun into this urban environment. Being an interactive piece, it welcomes audiences to decide how they would like to experience the space. It could encourage strangers to interact with each other, for friends to sit together or even allow people to create a moment of pause for themselves,’ says Marcelis. 

Across town, at Cromwell Place was Into Sight, a ‘life-sized media platform’ presented by Sony Design inviting visitors through a journey across visual and audio. 

Special commissions and V&A Festival Hub

Over the past few years, the festival’s reach has expanded across the city: at Canary Wharf, architects Stanton Williams and engineering firm Webb Yates presented Henge, a Neolithic-inspired stone structure designed as a circular meeting place (Wren Landing, Canary Wharf). 

At the V&A, the festival’s traditional hub, DesignSingapore Council and National Design Centre (Singapore) presented a new edition of ‘R for Repair’, co-curated by Hans Tan and Jane Withers and featuring designers from the UK and Singapore offering imaginative takes on fixing broken objects.

At the same location, Bocci’s creative director Omer Arbel showed his Material Experiments in the John Madejski Garden, featuring live-glassblowing throughout the week, creating a series of sculptures made of glass and molten copper. 

Says LDF director Ben Evans: ‘The design and creative sector in London and the UK has enjoyed a golden period this century. On our 20th anniversary, we want to take stock and move forward to ensure the festival continues to support the design community, commissions and showcases new ideas, and reflects on the key issues, from technology to sustainability to wellbeing, so that the next 20 years are as fruitful as the past 20.’ 

Design Fairs

Design London returned to North Greenwich with an expanded exhibition space, with brands including Eilersen, L Ercolani, Artemide, Zeitraum and Ton. The fair includes a talk series sponsored by Kohler. 

Over in Southbank, the Material Matters fair made its debut, taking over the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower. A concept developed from Grant Gibson’s popular design podcast of the same name, the new fair included a celebration of Layer’s cutting-edge projects (now also the subject of a new Phaidon monograph), and a site-specific installation by gallery Ruup & Form.

London Design Districts

Clerkenwell

Clerkenwell is home to a cluster of showrooms representing several international brands in the city. Carl Hansen & Søn presented an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. Authors of some of Copenhagen’s most iconic buildings, the architects have also created furniture, including the ‘Vega’ chair and ‘Foyer Series’, now reissued by the Danish company. 

Fritz Hansen has staged an installation replicating Arne Jacobsen’s iconic SAS hotel interiors, featuring new reissues from the brand and original pieces. 

VitrA has created an immersive experience in collaboration with art and design duo Carnovsky, who transformed a space in the VitrA showroom into a colourful, multilayered illustration to be discovered. 

Also in the area are Knoll, Arper and Moroso, the latter hosting the London launch of the Hidden Sound speaker alongside the nature-inspired furniture by Front, while Fredericia unveiled the ‘Plan’ collection by Barber Osgerby.

Architecture practice Holloway Li has partnered with Turkish manufacturer Uma to launch a series of modular seats in candy hues, showcased in its Rosebery Avenue showroom. 

At Viaduct, an exhibition celebrated ten years of Muller Van Severen, also presenting he Belgian designers’ new launches for Hay and CC-Tapis. 

Nearby, furniture store Aram hosted a celebration of MDF Italia’s 30th anniversary, presenting ‘The Principle of Lightness’ collection. 

Brompton

Across the South Kensington district, exhibitions explored the theme of ‘Make Yourself at Home’ (curated by Jane Withers Studio), with designers, creatives and makers exploring design for the domestic realm. 

Cromwell Place acted as the district’s hub, with a diverse range of displays that include ‘No Ordinary Home’, an exhibition of ‘objects to hold a plant’ by Martino Gamper & Friends (such friends including Attua Aparicio, Max Frommeld, Jochen Holz, Max Lamb and Bethan Laura Wood among others), and ‘Two Kettles, No Sofa’ at Seeds Gallery, an exploration of moving in together by creative couple, designer James Shaw and writer Lou Stoppard.

Modular sofa brand Cozmo presented a special edition of its sofa by Raw-Edges, featuring a removable cover made of digitally printed textile by Kornit, and 1882 Ltd presents ‘Disco Gourds’, a collection of ceramic objects by Bethan Laura Wood. Also on Cromwell Place was the collaboration between Spanish cement terrazzo producer Huguet Mallorca and Pentagram, with seven objects designed by the creative firm’s partners and curated by Astrid Stavro. 

Elsewhere, The Conran Shop (81 Fulham Road) presented ‘Meet Me in the Metaverse’, exploring future classics and how they will exist in the new virtual landscapes. 

The district is also home to some of London’s furniture showrooms, with several Italian brands grouped in the area. These include Molteni, presenting a reissue of Ignazio Gardella’s Blevio Table, B&B Italia with a display of Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole, and new products including Foster & Partners’ Cordoba chair and a special edition of Barber Osgerby Tobi-Ishi table. Also in the area is Cassina, Kartell, Meridiani, Poliform, Boffi and De Padova, Tai Ping and Poltrona Frau, the latter unveiling a collaboration with yacht design experts Winch Design.

Mayfair

The cluster of design galleries in Mayfair includes Gallery Fumi (Hay Hill), presenting ‘Haptic Nature’ by New York- and Athens-based duo Voukenas Petrides. Atelier Achille Salvagni (1A Grafton St) debuted ‘The Wonder Room’, a collaboration with Toyine Sellers featuring a ten-piece collection of furniture designed by Salvagni and upholstered in textiles by Sellers, as well as a cabinet of curiosities including objects collected by the two creatives. 

At The New Craftsmen (34 North Row), 15 artisans present pieces created as a result of a mudlarking trip to the banks of the River Thames, offering a new interpretation of the history of objects and craftsmanship. 

A new online destination for collectible design, Curio made its debut during London Design Festival 2022 with an exhibition at the Nehru Centre (8 South Audley Street), titled ‘Hand in Hand – Making in the Modern Age’, with a display of new works across different disciplines. 

After undergoing a makeover earlier in the year, Mayfair institution Sketch (9 Conduit St) offered a display of newly commissioned, site-specific installations by Bethan Gray, Moritz Waldemeyer and Tannaz Oroumchi, accompanied by specially-crafted cocktails. 

Gallerist Sadie Coles (8 Bury Street) hosted ‘Interior Eulogies’, an exhibition curated by Simon Andrews featuring works by architect and designer Max Clendinning.

INFORMATION

London Design Festival 2022 will be from 17-25 September 2022

londondesignfestival.com

For its annual exhibition at the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Schaudepot, Vitra Design Museum invited designer Sabine Marcelis to explore its archives and create a visually arresting, rainbow-inspired furniture arrangement. Titled ‘Colour Rush!’, the exhibition (on view until May 2023) is a fitting project for Marcelis, whose use of colour is one of the defining elements of her design practice. 

Working with the collection’s curator and almost 400 exhibits, Marcelis focused on colour to present the collection in a new light, eschewing traditional museum display styles to focus on a chromatic narrative. Historical objects and documents from the archives dotted around the exhibition complement the presentation, illustrating how creatives from different eras have approached the theme of colour. 

‘Our world is full of colour. Its various shades unleash emotions, assist orientation, indicate functions or perils, and mark cultural, political, professional, or religious identities,’ reads a statement from the museum introducing the project. ‘Although each of us perceives colours in their own way, all times and cultures have symbols and traditions distinguished by specific hues.’

Dubbed ‘an homage to the role of colour in design across all periods and styles’, the presentation transforms Vitra Schaudepot from a functional archive-style space into a chromatic folly, where colour and material take centre stage to form a deeper analysis of our chromatic preference when creating the spaces we live in.

Through the contemporary design objects on display, Marcelis makes us reflect on the ways colour has been used by some of the world’s most influential designers. Examples include Le Corbusier’s graded palettes, and the vivid hues of Verner Panton, which helped define 1960s and 1970s interior design. Sketches by Panton are accompanied by further materials from Alexander Girard, Hella Jongerius and more, while a further scientific insight into the topic is offered by a display of standardised colour sorting systems, from RAL to Pantone.

INFORMATION

‘Colour Rush!’ is on view until May 2023
design-museum.de
sabinemarcelis.com

ADDRESS

Charles-Eames-Straße 2
79576 Weil am Rhein
Germany

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Natuzzi presents the latest chapter in its ongoing creative renaissance as it unveils new furniture collections by international designers at Salone del Mobile 2021. Founded in Italy’s Puglia in 1959, the brand’s creative direction is now in the hands of second-generation Pasquale Natuzzi Junior (known as PJ), whose high-profile collaborations have firmly established Natuzzi as a design-led company.

PJ Natuzzi’s direction has already seen the brand collaborate with Fabio Novembre and Marcel Wanders Studio, a move that, he notes, gave Natuzzi ‘a boost of creative contamination that intrigued the design community’. An example of his approach’s success is the 2020 collaboration with Nika Zupanc, a designer whom PJ introduced into the company and whose piece became a Natuzzi best-seller. ‘That felt like a victory, the emblem of what I see as creative contamination,’ says PJ.

When he joined the company, the ‘perceived Natuzzi look’ was masculine, mature and commercial. ‘To evolve the brand, it was crucial to introduce different DNAs into the company, fuse them with our creative blood to create a winning blend.’

The circle of harmony: Natuzzi's new furniture collections

The latest iteration of these collaborations is the ‘Circle of Harmony’ concept, inviting an eclectic group of designers to create new furniture collections with Natuzzi. It’s a concept, PJ says, that makes his creative vision official. For 2021, collaborators include Formafantasma, Sabine Marcelis, Marco Piva, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Patrick Norguet, Lorenza Bozzoli, Marcel Wanders Studio and Elena Salmistraro. Different approaches, generations and styles merge into a collection that explores Natuzzi’s DNA in an imaginative way. PJ loves to gather designers around a table and see their creative thinking come together over a glass of wine. 

Working with Sabine Marcelis and Formafantasma was particularly interesting for Natuzzi: two design studios who had never before approached a sofa project. ‘It was a matter of combining their respective strong creative visions with Natuzzi’s,’ says PJ.

Formafantasma created the ‘Apulo’ collection, a sofa imagined for remote working whose rigorous forms were inspired by the vernacular architecture of the southern Italian countryside and merged well with Natuzzi’s comfort-focused approach. Meanwhile, Sabine Marcelis’ monolithic ‘Block’ sofa on wheels merges material, colour and forms unexpectedly, distilled into the Natuzzi language and resulting in an extremely balanced design.   

For PJ, the collection as a whole represents a kaleidoscope of the Mediterranean lifestyle, something that has been at the core of his direction for the brand and an integral part of its DNA from the start. ‘Mediterranean means inclusivity and cultural diversity, so the idea of blending different design experiences and ideas, and mixing them with our sense of hospitality, is a very Mediterranean approach.’

INFORMATION

natuzzi.com

Sabine Marcelis and Swedish furniture company Hem hit the sweet spot with their first collaboration, a pouf in the shape of a donut in pastel shades.

‘I have this fascination and love for the donut shape,’ explains Rotterdam designer Marcelis, who was named Wallpaper’s Designer of the Year in 2020 and joined the jury for the 2021 Design Awards. ‘It's just such a perfectly complete and finite shape. Simple yet not boring. And the curve and void create a beautiful depth in almost all materials.’

The motif has been a recurring theme throughout Marcelis’ recent work, with rugs and toilet paper holders created by the designer using the shape in different sizes and configurations. Every Christmas, Marcelis sells resin donut shapes as decorations, often made from left-over resin from other projects, to raise funds for charitable organisations.

The plush, foam-filled, round lounge seat is as aesthetically pleasing as it is ergonomically comfortable – both for sitting upright and lounging. It’s a duality that brings to mind Lina Bo Bardi’s ‘Bowl’ chair, whose double nature is updated here with a thoroughly contemporary aesthetic.

The pouf’s effortless appearance (as if it was simply inflated) took two years of development and roughly a dozen prototypes – the result fits in well with Hem’s progressive and experimental nature, and it’s a perfect debut for Marcelis’ within the company’s collection. The seat is available in candy-coloured hues of yellow, pink and white, upholstered to create a shape that is as perfectly smooth as possible.

In 2020, Hem presented a new brand identity by Made Thought, expressing the company’s forward-thinking approach, in line with its motto, ‘imaginative designs of obsessive quality’. The new collection certainly embodies the sentiment.

‘I wanted the pouf to be soft and pleasant to sit on,’ continues Marcelis. ‘The original design was finished in a rubber coating and meant for fleeting moments of sitting. The “Boa” pouf should be a seat where you can spend as much time on as you like.’

INFORMATION

hem.com

Luxury Swiss skincare brand La Prairie has collaborated with six students from Switzerland’s prestigious ECAL University of Art and Design for a new design challenge.

Since its inception in 1931, La Prairie has commissioned both high-profile and emerging artists to visually realise the ethos of ‘timeless beauty’ that is at the core of their skincare formulations. Through annual installations at Art Basel and collaborations with institutions like Fondation Beyeler, the brand has cemented its status as a patron of both artists and institutions. 

Now, with this latest project, La Prairie is once again celebrating innovative artistry and design. For ‘La Prairie x ECAL’ the Swiss brand has commissioned students Gal Bulka from Israel, Paula Chacartegui from Spain, Chia-Ling Chang from Taiwan, Apolline Morel-Lab from France, Fernando Rivero from Mexico, and Charlotte Therre from Switzerland to take part in a unique competition that celebrates the next generation of designers. 

For the project, the six master's students have been asked to create original pieces of work inspired by La Prairie’s vision of Swissness - one that values purity, precision, and timelessness in every aspect of its execution.

While centering a brief around the aesthetics of a single country runs the risk of being limiting, each of these projects sees the students melding their individual global perspectives with Swiss design traditions to produce a singular range of sculptural and interactive works.

As the brand's CMO, Greg Prodromides says, ‘in making the deliberate choice to work with young designers from varied backgrounds and experiences, we are treated to an exceptional array of interpretations of Swissness. We believe that this kind of diversity further enhances the values of creation and creativity, so essential to our identity as a luxury house.’ 

Throughout the entire creative process, the students have been mentored by Wallpaper’s 2020 Designer of the Year Sabine Marcelis who offered constant insight into how the projects could be developed into dynamic design objects. Ranging from abstract sculptures to interactive installations, the final pieces express the singular vision of six students in the exciting onset of their careers.

Each of the works will be featured in a week-long exhibition, from 18-24 January, on La Prairie’s Instagram page. The winning design will be determined by design experts from ECAL and votes from the public over Instagram, with the winning student receiving a grant from La Prairie to use towards launching their design career. Head to La Prairie’s Instagram now to vote for your favourite design and learn who the winner is on 25 January 2021.

INFORMATION

laprairie.com

Despite the challenges faced by the creative industries and beyond, 2020 turned out to be an incredible year for Sabine Marcelis, and 2021 is shaping up to be even grander. ‘At the beginning it was a little bit scary, it felt like projects were disappearing one by one,’ she notes. But things were quick to look up. The Rotterdam-based designer is unveiling two major projects, which follow a series of collaborations presented throughout 2020: residential interventions featuring her signature candy coloured resin elements (which allowed her to explore the use of resin on a new scale), lights for Established & Sons, a rug inspired by brushstrokes for CC-Tapis, and a workstation created in collaboration with AHEC for Connected and shown at London’s Design Museum. 

For her new commissions, she is going up in scale. In December, she refashioned the Study Centre at Rotterdam’s Het Nieuwe Instituut, the national collection of Dutch architecture and urban planning. ‘Instead of completely redesigning the space, I took on the challenge to just bring more light into the building,’ she says. ‘We opened up the external panelling and replaced it with large windows, and updated all the existing USM furniture: I really love the USM system, so I was honoured to be able to do it my way.’ What felt like a somewhat cavernous environment before was updated with Marcelis’ signature glass gradients, pastels and accented with soft furnishings that brought light and colour into the space.

Meanwhile in Shanghai, the designer is leaving her mark on the Showay mall with an oversized kinetic fountain installation. The project allowed her to further explore the theme of water, an approach central to her intervention at the Barcelona Pavilion and a collaboration with Fendi. The Shanghai project is a milestone for Marcelis, as it will be a permanent fixture. ‘I really wanted to do a permanent installation, so this is a next level project for me,’ she says. 

After a year in semi-isolation, judging the Wallpaper* Design Awards felt like a window on what happened in 2020. ‘What was really nice is that the projects that were nominated really have a focus on smart materials and sustainability,’ she says, focusing on design’s larger problem-solving potential. A favourite are Marazzi’s antibacterial tiles: ‘smart and sustainable materials is what we need for our future. This product is both. There should be way more products like these, and I think that they really deserve to be celebrated.’ 

Marcelis was also taken by NMBello Studio’s portable handwashing station (which she dubbed ‘design at its best’), and by RadSwan’s recycled synthetic wigs – a project that impressed her for its being ethical, sustainable and inclusive. ‘It’s a total gap in the market filled. I think those innovations are crucial at this moment,’ she says. 

Finally, the Designer of the Year shortlist resonated with her, particularly as it featured a group of designers from her generation. ‘I think it’s right to celebrate people who are somewhat new on the scene’, she says.’ She was especially impressed by Formafantasma’s body of work from the past year. ‘I think they really pushed their limits with very thoughtful projects like the Cambio exhibition,’ she adds. ‘It’s really important to have these educational exhibitions, so that people understand where things come from, and their impact.’ Their exhibition design for Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum was another example of the duo’s brilliance, says Marcelis. ‘They are a very versatile studio, they consistently produce great work, and this year it was better than great.’

INFORMATION

sabinemarcelis.com

We all have a personal catalogue of scents that can, for whatever reason, momentarily transport us back to another time and place. Andy Warhol famously curated his own ‘permanent smell collection’, changing his perfume every three months so that with one sniff he could instantly return back to a specific time. It was, he said, ‘a neat way to reminisce’.

During these anxious times, we asked some of the most innovative creatives working today to share their own ‘neat’ ways of conjuring up comfort through smell. For designer Sabine Marcelis, the beloved scent of mimosa is recreated in a Diptyque candle used for home fragrance. Acclaimed architect and Harvard professor Farshid Moussavi uses a Buly 1803 body milk to evoke the memory of her childhood home in Iran now that she can’t travel back.

While Alice Rawsthorn, author of Design as an Attitude, and Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin of design studio Formafantasma use products from one of the world’s oldest pharmacies as an antidote for lockdown induced malaise. Below, peak into their homes and let their olfactory reminisces bring you on own sensory journey.

Sabine Marcelis – Mimosa candle by Diptyque

‘My absolute favourite smell in the whole world is hands-down Mimosa flower. Whenever it's in season I try to buy fresh bunches of the flowers for in the house. Spending so much time at home recently but the flowers not being in season, my boyfriend got me a scented candle with a Mimosa smell. I light it when taking a bath and it reminds me of amazing times spent in the South of France – particularly big lunches and dinners with friends at the Villa Noailles where they have a lot of it growing wild and it adorns the communal tables in big bunches.’

Farshid Moussavi – Lait virginal orange blossom body milk by Buly 1803

‘When I was a child, our garden was filled with orange trees and every mid-March to mid- April they would be in full bloom and fill our front garden with the scent of orange blossom. My mother would make orange blossom jam or tea with it and we children would make necklaces with the blossoms. So the scent of orange blossom has stayed with me as the scent of home and of renewal of nature relating to spring. I was therefore delighted a few years ago when I discovered Buly’s orange blossom body cream which I use daily. It has been especially comforting this March and April when we have been in lock down and I have not been able to visit my parents.’

Alice Rawsthorn – Scented terracotta pomegranate by Santa Maria Novella

‘A few months ago I was given a Santa Maria Novella pomegranate terracotta diffuser as a thank you gift. As I travel (or travelled) so much, I decided to wait until I’d spend a lengthy period of time at home to make the most of it. Cue lockdown, and the delicious, subtly fruity scent of pomegranate.’ 

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin – Aqua di Colonia by Santa Maria Novella

‘Apart form being a quite spicy and particular fragrance (it smells of wood and oriental notes) we love La Marescialla for its historical roots. The formula dates back to the 1800s and was created for a French Countess who used it to perfume her gloves. In Tomasi di Lampedusa’s literary masterpiece Il Gattopardo, Angelica wore this perfume at the ball in Salina, where 'the fragrance of the bouquet à la Maréchale arose from Angelica’s neckline…'.

For Copenhagen Fashion Week (28-31 January), Danish design gallery Etage Projects is transforming itself into ‘a utopian shopping environment for wearable art’, complete with its own window displays and fitting rooms.

Curated by Jeppe Ugelvig, the ‘Wearables’ exhibition invited 22 international artists to offer a counterpoint to fashion’s ephemerality, proposing garments and accessories as ‘long-lived aesthetic commodities’ to elevate one’s wardrobe while being mindful of ecological footprint.

Our newly minted Designer of the Year, Sabine Marcelis, has downsized her resin ‘Candy Cubes’ into jewellery form, their translucent volumes more ethereal than before; while ceramicist and jeweller Jo Riis-Hansen has crafted aquatic-themed earrings out of freshwater pearls and gold.

Meanwhile, multidisciplinary artist FOS – no stranger to the fashion industry thanks to his celebrated collaborations with Phoebe Philo-era Celine – has teamed up with womenswear designer Maja Brix on a ‘sculpture dress’, cape, and a hooded cotton denim kimono we can’t wait to cosy up in.

INFORMATION

‘Wearables’, from 28 January, Etage Projects
etageprojects.com

ADDRESS

Etage Projects
Borgergade 15E
Copenhagen

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It is fitting that Sabine Marcelis’ experimental focus is the diffusion of light: few other forms of energy translate into such a wide spectrum of colour, shape and unpredictable phenomena. And indeed, in the past year the work of the Netherlands-based New Zealand-born designer has widened the spectrum of what light, glass and resin — alongside more unexpected materials — can do.

Take, for example, the stretch between two projects produced in quick chronological order: there was the serene and flowing elegance of Fendi’s ‘The Shapes of Water’ for 2018’s Design Miami and then the childlike abandon of the ‘Donuts’ rug conceived for Carpet Sign, presented during last year’s Milan Design Week. The former pushed the conceptual boundaries of what Marcelis does best: the 10 fountains devised for the Italian fashion house showed an intricate pas de deux between light and water, but used architectural references to transport the installations beyond the context of their glass and resin containers – for instance, one of the fountains referenced the arches of the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, Fendi’s Roman HQ. The latter was a 12x12 grid made up of ring-shaped confections, but created by robotic tufting machines with wool. It was as comically earnest as it was carefully constructed, and revealed a willingness to present complex manufacturing in straightforward packages. In fact, that approach extended to one of her more recent projects, the ‘Xmas Donuts’. The pieces, meant to be used as Christmas tree ornaments, were cast from leftover resin in her Rotterdam studio. As the designer joked on her Instagram account, ’twas indeed ‘the year of the donut’.

Or, more broadly: it was the year Marcelis expanded her field of material and conceptual experimentation with exciting results. Her ‘Dawn’ lights and ‘Candy Cubes’ now sit next to onyx tables and ghost mirrors; pixelated cubic tapestries that reveal stereoscopic layers; award trophies that snap like chocolate bars; and soap-like columns and furniture that trick the hand and the eye. And, of course, there are donuts.

Since opening her studio in 2011, her practice has mainly been based on capturing the wide-ranging effects of light hitting curiously diverse types of mass. Her pieces have thus become an intellectually hearty and chromatically thrilling condensation of large-scale natural happenstances, such as the moment sunlight converses with the mountains and the sea, into functional objects and compact installations brought down to their essence. We understand how challenging that process can be: we’ve attempted to condense the superb creative streak and the aesthetic impact she’s had into a compact gesture: our Designer of the Year award for 2020. 

INFORMATION

Explore more of our Wallpaper* Design Awards 2020 here

sabinemarcelis.com

Following in the footsteps of Ai Weiwei, Enric MIralles and Ryue Nishizawa, Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis is the latest in a short line of artists with permission to temporarily alter the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona. Her exhibition, presented with Side Gallery and titled No Fear of Glass, includes five new works installed at the iconic architectural structure, and is a beautiful update on Mies’ intention for the space as ‘an ideal zone of tranquillity.’

The Barcelona Pavilion embodies the spirit of 20th-century modern architecture and was first built in 1929. Intended as a reception space for the Barcelona International Exhibition, it was designed to be mostly bare: architecture that was a conduit for the views beyond, a continuous space; blurring inside and outside, containing only the famous (specifically designed) Barcelona chairs and a single sculpture. Since its reconstruction in the 1980s has been a place of pilgrimage for architects from all over the globe.

An intimidating commission, perhaps, Marcelis is an apt choice to take it on. As a starting point, she takes the request made to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to ‘not use too much glass’ in his construction, and makes the material central to her new pieces. She tests it and pushes it to its limits just as Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich did with the other materials in their palette nearly a century ago to test their design ideals.

The result is a series of pieces that seem to be grown and extruded from the structure itself; in glass, travertine and chrome. Two large chaise longues see the travertine floor extended to form a base, which is then sliced by a singular sheet of curved glass. These sculptural yet functional furniture pieces are immediately futuristic, somehow timeless, and extremely inviting.

In response to the eight chrome columns which provide the structural support for pavilion’s roof, Marcelis has also introduced a ninth. In mirrored-glass her vertical structure functions as a light and is placed in line with the existing columns, blending in seamlessly, and adding a new poetic dimension to the space.

The work of Marcelis defies fixed definitions, says Ippolito Pestellini, partner at OMA/AMO and a contributor to an upcoming book that will document the exhibition. ‘For years she has been working tirelessly to push the limits of materials, extending their qualities and performance. What at first glance looks like a purely aesthetic exercise is actually the output of a scientific and systematic research into production processes. The act of design in her practice becomes a different story, one where light, colour, reflection, strength and curvature are the driving categories of a research that is not limited to form and geometry, and that transcends the scale of objects as we know it.’

The final piece in the series can be found in the water pond outside: a curved glass fountain that appears to bend the water upwards from the ground, and letting it spill over and back down. Subtle, yet compelling, each of Marcelis’ interventions invite a fresh look at this seemingly untouchable space. Each, in their own way, actually improving it with a 21st century perspective on the modern way.

Curator Maria Cristina Didero also describes Sabine Marcelis’ approach as being unique and highly recognisable: ‘Her design is sharp, severe and at the same time syrupy, honeyed - you might even want to smell or bite her pieces of furniture, which are always extraordinary.’ Consider it a warning. But if you do want to lick it, it’s surely a sign of good taste.

INFORMATION

Installation view of Fountain. Photography: José Hevia

ADDRESS

Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 7
08038
Barcelona

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Water, one of the most essential elements of life – has long been a central creative feature for Fendi. Some 40 years ago, the house found inspiration in the waters in Rome, producing Histoire d’Eau, the first film in the history of fashion, to present its inaugural ready-to-wear collection for women through a young model traversing the fountains of Rome. Now, Fendi is continuing its fascination with the theme; this time by commissioning Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis to create a series of installations during Design Miami that also take their inspiration from the Italian capital’s fountains.

Marcelis came to the design world’s attention with her luminous masterpieces in glass and resin, which she manipulates in such a way as to create the similar fluid quality of water. ‘Water is such an interesting material because of its changing state of shape and appearance,’ she says. ‘It's such a luxurious thing as well; it's much undervalued and I think it's nice to showcase its beauty in a luxurious manner like this.’

This body of new work, ‘The Shapes of Water’, will be presented at Design Miami in December to mark the 10th anniversary of Fendi’s collaboration with the design fair.

Female designers have been something of a rarity in the field of high design, yet Fendi has collaborated with a number of them, including Maria Pergay, Cristina Celestino and Chiara Andreatti. Silvia Venturini Fendi, heir to the furrier and leather goods company, who is responsible for commissioning the intallations says, ‘Over these 10 years, I have noted that women designers pay more attention to the context while men focus on the one-of-a-kind piece.’

The fountain theme has particular resonance for Fendi. In 2013, the fashion house set up the Fendi for Fountains initiative to restore the famous Trevi Fountain and several others as part of its commitment to Rome and its culture. Marcelis has created ten travertine-mounted, cast-resin fountains incorporating water, each of which represents a Fendi icon. ‘When I went to the headquarters to see the atelier,’ says Marcelis, ‘the precision and care applied to create the designs was very impressive. And I think because I'm so interested in production processes and the use of materials, it was very interesting to see how Fendi also has the same love and care for craft and materials.’

The exhibition is designed as a discrete space for visitors to explore, where one hears just the water and can observe the movements up close. Some of the fountains are quiet; others – which contain pumps to propel the water upwards — are louder. And the designer has choreographed them in such a way that as one walks through the space these differences are noticeable, giving the installation both visual and acoustic qualities. The serene simplicity of the fountains is deceptive, however; a complex mechanism provides the magic unseen. §

Read more about ‘The Shapes of Water’ project in the current December 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*237)

INFORMATION

‘The Shapes of Water’ is on view at Design Miami from 5-9 December. For more information, visit the Fendi website, Sabine Marcelis website and the Design Miami website

To celebrate International Women’s day, we turned to some prolific female designers to give us quotes on their successes, a glimpse at their historical heroines, and news on projects at Salone del Mobile (17-22 April). We hear from daring dames in design Inga Sempé, Bethan Laura Wood, Sabine Marcelis, Nika Zupanc, Es Devlin, Lara Bohinc, Cristina Celestino and India Mahdavi...

Sabine Marcelis

Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis opened her studio upon graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2011. Her work is characterised by a distinguished use of colour and materials, and an innovative approach to lighting. Recent collaborations include OMA-designed Repossi boutique on Place Vendôme in Paris and candleholders for menswear brand Salle Privée.

Wallpaper*: What is your career highlight so far and why?
Sabine Marcelis: Having the opportunity to collaborate with OMA (Rem Koolhaas), which has taken my work to a completely different scale.

W*:Which women, or a woman inspired you to follow a creative path?
SM: Ellie Uyttenbroek from Exactitudes, she’s a bad-ass who plays by no-ones rules and has the ability to see potential in the most unexpected things.

W*: What’s on the drawing board right now?
SM: Some architectural projects and a site-specific installation. And of course preparing to show new work at Salone del Mobile in April.

W*: Dream project?
SM: To work on something monumental. A permanent public installation would be amazing. I would also absolutely love to work on more performative situation; to collaborate with musicians and theatre.

Nika Zupanc

Slovenian product and interior designer Zupanc’s work is witty, visually delightful and pristine. Her commissions include Moooi and Moroso, and her ongoing collaboration with Sè. She also has her own brand of precious and whimsical furniture.

Wallpaper*: What is your career highlight so far?
Nika Zupanc: It is almost impossible, if not unjust, to name one project as the most dear to me, but if I have to choose one today, I would pick the Ribbon chair, which is now officially my first injection-moulded piece of furniture. But it is not that making it so special to me, it is more the simple fact, that since the beginning it was envisioned as a statement against rationalism that is still ruling the world of product design. Using a bow as the central symbol of a contemporary chair design seemed as rather daring gesture to do in a society, that is still ruled by overrated rationalism and technicism. With a bit of humour, one could even call it a ‘revenge design’.

W*: Which women, or a woman inspired you to follow a creative path?
NZ: Since we are evidently living in a world where woman still have to fight for their equal place in society, my work was always full of references to historical heroines that fail openly and laud. Daring desires of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Camille Claudel and others inspired me since my very early age, however the role model I would pick here is Coco Chanel who proved that there is always a way. I wouldn't say she didn’t pay her share, but social rules for women clothing was changed ever since and for sure she knew, how to own her desires.

W*: What’s on the drawing board right now?
NZ: Among all new products and collections, that will be revealed during up coming Salone del Mobile in April in Milan, you can also find glasses, a luxury residence and a collection of surfing boards.

W*:Dream project?
NZ: Designing a car.

Cristina Celestino

Celestino made her big ticket debut in 2016 with her furniture collaboration with Fendi for Design Miami. The Italian designer trained in architecture before shifting to interior architecture where she refined her style producing collections for brands including Tonelli Design and Nilufar.

Wallpaper*: What are your career highlights?
Cristina Celestino: My wall covering and flooring projects for Botteganove and Fornace Brioni had great success. I had the opportunity to work as creative director on design projects that concern surfaces, which I deeply love. Also The Happy Room project for Fendi in 2016. It was great to show a whole concept through an extensive furniture collection. And finally, my collaboration with Nilufar gallery. I will show a new piece there during Salone del Mobile 2018 and I truly admire Nina Yashar, both as a woman and as an entrepreneur.

W*: Which woman, or women inspired you to follow a creative path?
Cristina Celestino: The first woman that stands out as an inspiring guide is my art and architecture teacher at high school. She made my creativity bloom. I also have a passion for the revolutionary work of Nanda Vigo.

W*: What’s on the drawing board right now?
CC: The upcoming Salone del Mobile project, there are many others too, for example Corallo for which I have reinterpreted the historic streetcars of the city imagining an ideal Cinema Corallo that will circulate in the Brera district. Corallo will create a suggestive screening room on rails.

W*: Dream project?
CC: To build a big house for my family in the country and design everything from the architecture to the towels.

Inga Sempé

A graduate of industrial design school ENSCI, Sempé is known for her versatility and lightness of touch. Since opening her studio in 2000, the French designer has established long-term relationships with firms such as Ligne Roset and Wästberg.

Wallpaper*: What is your career highlight?
Inga Sempe: No special highlights, just very slow work.

W*: Which woman, or women inspired you to follow a creative path?
IS: I was inspired by all the working women from my childhood, always taking care of all the cleaning and boring stuff at home and looking after the children, while the men were just sitting and drinking. I thought: I will never be this way, and will never be with men like that. A bigger help was my father who always said, ‘women have no imagination’. So I just showed him he was wrong. A real inspiring woman for me is Grisélidis Réal, the Swiss writer and prostitute who fought for the rights of prostitutes.

W*: What is on the drawing board right now?
IS: I’ve just finished a herringbone double grill for Crane Cookware and a fabric for Alcantara. Coming up are mirrors for Magis, seating for Mattiazzi and handles for DND.

W*: Dream project?
IS: a cast-iron wooden stove.

India Mahdavi

The Irano-Egyptian designer has graced many spaces with her whimsically elegant aesthetic. Dubbed the ‘queen of colour’ by many, the Paris-based designer is accountable for the Gallery restaurant at Sketch, to stand-out pieces for the likes of Cogolin and Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades.

Wallpaper*: What is your career highlight?
India Mahdavi: Being able to embrace womanhood, motherhood and my career as an architect and designer at the same time – and still very much enjoying all three.

W*: Which woman, or women inspired you to follow a creative path?
IM: All the inspiring pioneers like Louise Bourgeois, Lou Andreas-Salomé, Andrée Putman, Maja Hoffmann… they are all free women.

W*: What’s on the drawing board right now?
IM: So many different things – a few collaborations for Salone del Mobile in Milan in April  – a bathroom for Bisazza, a furniture installation at Nilufar Gallery, a collection of rugs for Golran, a new retail concept for Tod’s London Sloane Street flagship store, a salon de thé for Ladurée in Tokyo (after Geneva and Los Angeles) some residential projects and scenography for an exhibition about craftsmanship for the Michelangelo Foundation in Venice.

W*: What is your dream project?
IM: To make a movie.

Bethan Laura Wood

The RCA graduate is the flamboyant mistress of pattern and marquetry. The British designer has had decorative collaborations with Valextra to Bitossi, and in 2016 she was awarded with the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award at London Design Festival.

Wallpaper*: What is your career highlight?
Bethan Laura Wood: I have to pick more than one… getting into the RCA to study my MA in Design Products, winning the 2016 Swarovski Emerging Talent medal at London Design Festival, attending the RCA graduate gala in 2011, and winning the W Hotels Designers of the Future 2013 award at Design Miami Basel.

W*: What’s on the drawing board right now?
BLW: For SS 2018, I have worked with Valextra designing handles to go with their bags, really enjoyed the experience working with their specialists, it was interesting applying my knowledge from design to create these miniature things with a specialist. Am also working with Valextra on their Venice boutique, some smaller bespoke elements rather than the entire interior. Also some rugs for CC Tapis.

W*: Which women have inspired you?
BLW: Frida Kahlo, travelling to Mexico I had more access to her and I admire her style. Yayoi Kusama, I love her absorption into herself and her patterns. Nathalie du Pasquier of Memphis and also Charlotte Perriand because their designs stand along and are timeless. Style wise am also a big fan of Bjork, another person who has found ways of expressing herself through her clothing.

W*: Dream project?
BLW: I would love to design a London Underground station, all the patterns for the walls.

Lara Bohinc

Slovenian-born, London-based designer and RCA-graduate Lara Bohinc started out in fashion and jewellery design – winning the British Fashion Council’s New Generation Award – but segued seamlessly into furniture design when she created the Solaris Kinetic Table with Lapicida for Wallpaper* Handmade 2014. Since then she has collaborated with Skultuna and worked with Italian manufacturers to create lighting and vases. Defiantly multidisciplinary, her love of natural materials and pure geometric forms is what unites her diverse body of work.

Wallpaper*: What is your career highlight?

Lara Bohinc: I guess getting an MBE would be a standard answer but I feel that my career highlight hasn’t arrived yet.

W*: Which woman, or women inspired you to follow a creative path?
LB: My mother. She was a working woman, she was a judge until her retirement and she instilled in me a positive attitude and a good work ethic. She also made me believe that anything was possible if you worked hard, whether you were a woman or a man. She was always very encouraging and seemed to love everything that I created, from my first doodles to the objects of today. I have her to thank for who I am today, as a woman and as a creative.

W*: What's on the drawing board right now?
LB: A new metal furniture collection that will be launched at Salone. Also my new website.

W*: Dream project?
LB: Every project can become a dream project, however this depends on many factors… people, budget, timeline.

Es Devlin

Recipient of the Panerai London Design Medal 2017 and probably the world’s most sought-after set designer, Es Devlin OBE has an enviable portfolio that ranges from London’s 2012 Olympic closing ceremony, for which she filled the stadium with Damien Hirst’s 5,600 sq m Union Jack spin painting, to creative work for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, U2, Adele, Jay Z and Kanye West. Most comfortable when operating ‘on the edge of the impossible’, she says she practises the ‘suspension of disbelief’.

Wallpaper*: What is your career highlight?
Es Devlin: My lakeside stage set for the Bregenz Festival’s production of Carmen.

W*: Which woman, or women inspired you to follow a creative path?
ED: Ray Eames, Adrienne Rich and Margaret Atwood.

W*: What's on the drawing board right now?
ED: MASK: a new sculptural filmic work at Somerset house which will launch during Photo London from May 18.

W*: Dream project?
ED: I’d love to create a work in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.

At this year’s Salone del Mobile, that most sacred of design gatherings, we called the Wallpaper* flock to the Mediateca Santa Teresa, a deconsecrated church on Via della Moscova. And there did true believers, as well as the odd agnostic, enjoy intimate communion with spirit-lifting design and craft at its most transcendent.

This issue bears witness to the divine efforts of our various dynamic design duos and hastily assembled bands of brothers and sisters. From genesis to revelation, we pull back the veil on projects from the Bouroullecs, Tom Dixon, Kostas Murkudis, Sabine Marcelis, Conrad Shawcross, Matteo Thun, Doshi Levien and a multitude more. Here are fonts and sarcophagi, tools for meditation and mindfulness, settings for blessed beginnings and suitable send-offs, devotional fixtures and fittings, and simple, elegantly austere sanctuaries for the modern soul.

In all, and rare, seriousness, we hope the spirit of this year’s Handmade exhibition, and this issue, is one of calm reflection and communion, entirely inclusive and strictly non-denominational. Salone and Handmade are truly global events, celebrations of cross-border collaboration and friendships forged in the creative act. They recognise that we can still at least hope to make the world, in small ways perhaps, a more civilised and lovely place to be.

Onwards and upwards!

Tony Chambers, Editor-in-Chief

As originally featured in the August 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*221)

INFORMATION

The August 2017 issue of Wallpaper* is out now. Subscribe here

‘It’s the Tuscany of Austria,’ quipped someone on our three-hour journey from Vienna to Schloss Hollenegg for Design. This was difficult to picture at first – but it all became apparent once the car pulled up to the 12th century castle, complete with a courtyard blanketed in wisteria and set against a dazzling alpine backdrop. Located in the Austrian market town of Schwanberg, the castle was once the holiday home of the Liechtenstein family.

The spellbinding venue is the unlikely location for ‘Morphosis’, an exhibition of emerging design talent curated by local exhibition designer and curator Alice Stori Liechtenstein. ‘The [theme] is about paying attention to how change happens,’ explains Liechtenstein. ‘Design can be a tool to make change happen. We are in changing times, happening fast and it’s quite fragile.’

This is the second year Liechtenstein has overseen the programme at Schloss Hollenegg, with the intent to bring design to the rural area. It is also the second time she has opened up an unused room of the castle to the designers-in-residence – this year Lex Pott and Stephanie Hornig – who each spent a week creating works inspired by the eclectic interiors of the castle.

Pott’s ‘Tree of Life’ chandelier lit up the reading room, filled with family heirlooms, diaries, albums letters and portraits. Austria-born, London-based Hornig also played with light and reflection; her tableware brought a new sparkle to the sombre winter dining room. The collection was Hornig’s first ever works in silver, created in collaboration with Viennese silver manufacturer Jarosinski & Vaugoin.

In addition to the resident designers’ projects, Liechtenstein invited a further 19 designers to show new works that ‘explore one aspect of morphosis, or showing one passage of it, or two different types of elements’. Peppered across one of the most decadent baroque rooms of the house, Germans Ermičs’ sublime glass pieces complemented new benches by Os & Oos, Marcin Rusak’s experimental ‘Perishable’ series, and lighting by Sabine Marcelis.

‘It’s all about relationships, and how people come together,’ Liechtenstein mused, on inviting designers to show at the bucolic location (many attended the roaring opening, which included an Ibiza DJ spinning decks in the ballroom and goulash for the late-night partiers). ‘[The designers] notice things in my house I’ve seen but haven’t really noticed before, and that’s really special.’

INFORMATION

‘Morphosis’ is open until 31 May, by appointment only. For more information, visit the Schloss Hollenegg for Design website

ADDRESS

Schloss Hollenegg for Design
Hollenegg 1
Schwanberg 8530

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Light, in its simplest form, is merely a natural agent that stimulates sight and makes everything visible, but it’s the manner in which it is revealed that is so arresting. With neon and resin as her accomplices, Dutch lighting designer Sabine Marcelis has captured the world’s attention with each enigmatic collection of lighting she has created. After turning heads in 2014 with her 'Dawn' collection – where neon strands were artfully encased in perfectly hued resin sculptures – Marcelis has once again piqued interests with her 'Voie' light series.

Though the material players remain the same, their characters have taken on new personas and intentions. '"Voie" means path,' explains Marcelis. 'The collection was born out of a curiosity to manipulate the path of light.' This is something the Dutch designer consistently flirts with in all her projects. For Marcelis, it’s the analysis of material that leads to further investigation. 'Within "Voie", playing with resin allowed me to manipulate the line of light in different ways, creating a stronger diffusion or dimming effect,' she states. 'And, neon was a natural choice as I have always been drawn to its vibrant light quality and malleable shape.' When asked about where she derives her creative perspective, Marcelis notes, 'I always have my eyes open and am actively curious and inquisitive about everything. Some may be surprised to find that I’m equally as inspired by nature as I am by technological advances and artificialities.'

It’s been Marcelis’ loyalty to such cutting-edge technology that has made her designs so prolific. Exploring the mutually beneficial relationship between materials and their subsequent interaction with light has been her industry trademark. 'The final shape and form of each project is really defined by the effect I want to expose or what the material properties demand be highlighted,' she says. The trained industrial designer has artfully carved her own path, one that strictly adheres to original content. 'My pieces are functionally decorative in the end,' she says, 'and demand an interaction with the space and user.' This trailblazer is certainly discovering new ways to turn light into an art form.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Sabine Marcelis’ website

Photography courtesy Studio Sabine Marcelis