Aluminum concretion shelf by Studio Julien Manaira.
Dimensions: 123 x 47 x 141 cm.
Materials: aluminium and stainless steel.
The concretion project consists of sand-casting aluminium in a base of stainless steel tubes to form objects. The tubes are placed and cut to certain heights according to what the gross object’s dimensions will be. The shapes of each horizontal surface are then prepared by hand without following any precise plan. Each pouring of aluminium is at the same time forming surfaces of the object as well as connecting elements together.
The aim of this process is to create a strong relation between two types of metal: the industrial stainless steel and the brut hand-cast aluminium, that comes visually as an extension of the first one. The two types of metal have two opposite relation to time, the industrial tube can’t be placed in time, only resulting from a continuous chain of production when the hand-cast part captures the very moment of formation of the object. This opposition is not meant to compare which materiality is best, but to enrich each other by their difference, and therefore stimulate the
Julien Manaira (France, 1992) successively studied industrial design (La martinière, Lyon) and fine arts -option product design (Esad, Reims). in 2015 he came to Amsterdam to follow a temporary master program (Materialisation in Art and Design) at the Sandberg Institute where he graduated in 2017 before opening his studio in the same city. His graduation project ‘The once liquid plastic’ was awarded by the RADO Star Prize 2017 and the 3rd prize of the Pure Talent Contest at IMM Cologne 2018. In the last years, he exhibited his works in different established and recognized organizations such as Paris Design Week, IMM Cologne, Design Parade Hyères, and Milan Design Week. He was commissioned by different companies, among which Nilufar Gallery, Nubikk, Van Dijk Store as well as private clients.
The main focus in his practice is setting processes that allow the manufacturer or him to be mentally and physically involved in the transformation of material towards an object. He believes that this empowerment is a way to engage deeper the audience or user’s perception, and therefore create a stronger connection with the object. Serendipity, combining industrial and artisanal material, are examples of how he aims to create objects that are able to communicate their undergone transformations.
Iris Box...
Category
2010s Modern Dutch Seating
MaterialsAluminum, Stainless Steel
