supporting the human body.
This is not without intention. Influenced by the Buddhist philosophy of Impermanence, and the work of Japanese textile master Keisuke Seriwaza (1895-1984), Aki + Arnaud bring together what Carpenter’s Workshop calls “the
harshness of metal with the fragility of fabric”
whose patina captures a moment in time. The end product are pieces of furniture that bring together function, design, comfort, and beauty.
The accompanying lamps are also consciously
designed. Inspired by Arnaud’s experience of
free diving, the lamps are designed not only to
be pieces of beauty but also to serve to reflect
images on the ceiling similar in kind to what Arnaud would see when looking up from the depths to the surface. The effect is stunning.
Flexible Rigidity
Sponsored by Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery, Paris, "Flexible Rigidity" brought together the weavings of Simon Prouve with A+A Cooren’s sand cast aluminum furniture.
Simone Prouve was born in Nancy, France, in 1931, to the renowned metal worker and self-taught architect Jean Prouve and Madeleine Prouve. It was her mother that encouraged her to learn sewing and weaving. But clearly, her father’s architectural background influences her work, as many of her large pieces (reaching up to 2500 square feet in size) are commissioned by architects for large spaces.
Simone Prouve has exhibited her works since 1956. Since 1990, she has incorporated industrial materials such as steel wire, glass bres, Kevlar® and polyethylene into her weavings. And in this exhibit, Simone Prouve, who continues to weave at age 90, incorporated flame-retardant fibers more commonly associated with clothing for firefighters and fire safety in buildings, alongside natural fibers like wool and linen.
Shown alongside the cast aluminum furniture of Aki and Arnaud, the work of both artists appears to resemble fabric. It is only upon
closer analysis that the pieces reveal their
materials and complexity.
The Pompidou Center in Paris recognized Simone Prouve, by adding several pieces of her work to the Musee National d’Art Moderne
collections.
Dans un Nuage de Pixels
Mobile National is a French national service agency responsible for the administration of all furniture and objects in the royal residences, a responsibility which includes not only
conserving furniture but curating a modern collection. Mobile National hosted Dans un Nuage de Pixels – a collaboration between A+A Cooren Design Studio and Miguel Chevalier – in its Gobelins chapel, which was originally built in 1723 for the Gobelins tapestry maker. The installation – a collection of furniture and a generative virtual reality installation projected on the ceiling of the Gobelins chapel – was presented to the public 9 September 2021.
The collection of furniture, designed by Aki + Arnaud Cooren Design Studio, involves three pieces: a rug made by the Savonnerie manufactory, with patterns of black, grey and
(white pixels; a sofa and two chairs developed
Asked: “Do your creations have souls?”
Aki and Arnaud shake their heads in affirmation. Yes.
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