Vincent Van Duysen unveils ‘I.R.O. – Italian Rational Objects’, a new body of work for Roman gallery Giustini Stagetti. This collection also marks Van Duysen's debut working with a gallery, and the works will be on view in an eponymous exhibition until 12 January 2024.
As the collection’s name suggests, Van Duysen – whose past collaborations span Zara Home dining furniture and Molteni&C’s outdoor furniture debut – looked at Italian rationalist architecture of the 1920s and 1940s, exploring 'the distinctive characteristics of its aesthetics, [reinterpreted] in a contemporary form through the process of synthesis and subtraction'.
The collection comprises seating, tables and lighting, each piece defined by lightness and sleek proportions. Simplicity lies at the core of the designs, with essential modules made of bent aluminium with a satin, pearl-grey finish. Split edges characterise each piece, offering a sense of balance between the designs' refined silhouettes and their industrial vocation.
This also nods to the work of Brazilian artist Lygia Clark, whose sculptural pieces were made of metal planes arranged in abstract geometric compositions. 'The invitation to the possibility of interaction with the artistic object projects [Van Duysen]'s work into a performative dimension, inviting us to reflect on the relationship between the audience and the artwork,' reads a note accompanying the collection.
It's a project that reflects Van Duysen's passionate approach to objects, where different influences converge into new design ideas that are both familiar and innovative in their aesthetic treatment of materials and form.
‘I.R.O. – Italian Rational Objects’ by Vincent Van Duysen is on view until 12 January 2024
Giustini Stagetti
Via Gregoriana 41
Roma
vincentvanduysen.com
giustinistagetti.com
