Dreamlike and futuristic, the work of designer Iris van Herpen is set to show at the Brooklyn Museum in New York in May 2026. The opening will mark the North American debut of the traveling exhibition, dubbed Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses, which brings more than 140 couture works into dialogue with design and scientific artifacts.

The museum has a long history of fashion exhibitions, and this one situates Iris van Herpen’s practice within a broader design conversation. Exhibits showcase how her garments operate as constructed environments for the body, shaped by material research, digital fabrication methods like laser-cutting and 3D printing, and a sustained engagement with natural systems.

Iris Van Herpen, Morphogenesis Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. laser-cut and screenprinted mesh, duchesse satin, and laser-cut Plexiglas. collaborator: Philip Beesley. model: Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu

digital fabrication for dreamlike creations

Throughout the galleries of the Brooklyn Museum, Iris van Herpen’s garments appear as sculptural forms in motion and unaffected by gravity. Laser-cut meshes, layered polymers, and translucent synthetics register subtle shifts in posture and movement. This way, the designer gives each piece a sense of responsiveness as rippling designs often hover between rigidity and flexibility.

Many works foreground the mechanics of making. Three-dimensional printing, hand pleating, and experimental bonding techniques remain visible, so that the visual language is defined by its fabrication processes. This emphasis on construction aligns the exhibition closely with industrial design and architecture, where form is guided by material behavior rather than just decoration.

Iris van Herpen, Labyrinthine Kimono Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. glass organza, crepe, tulle, and Mylar. model: Cynthia Arrebola. photo © David Uzochukwu

iris van herpen’s scientific references

Scientific reference points shape the exhibition design of Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses, as marine biology, anatomy, physics, and astronomy inform the sequencing of the Brooklyn Museum galleries. As such, the progression of spaces moves from themes of aquatic environments toward cosmic scales. But these disciplines are more than just backdrops. They influence how garments occupy space and how viewers circulate among them.

Scientific artifacts and contemporary artworks appear alongside the couture pieces to reinforce this approach. Fossils, skeletal structures, and even optical experiments echo the garments’ geometries. The effect remains measured and deliberate, encouraging close observation rather than quick a walkthrough.

Iris van Herpen. Sensory Seas Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. PETG and glass organza. collaborator: Shelee Carruthers. models: Cynthia Arrebola and Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu

Iris Van Herpen, Morphogenesis Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. laser-cut and screenprinted mesh, duchesse satin, and laser-cut Plexiglas. collaborator: Philip Beesley. model: Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu

project info:

name: Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses

artist: Iris van Herpen | @irisvanherpen

museum: Brooklyn Museum | @brooklynmuseum

location: 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY

opening: May 16th, 2026

photography: © David Uzochukwu | @daviduzochukwu

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Dead oak tree returns to life as sound sculptures, musical instruments, and playable records by artist Steve Parker. On display in an exhibition named Funeral for a Tree, the project began when a 65-year-old live oak tree in the artist’s yard died from oak wilt, a disease that slowly kills trees. Instead of removing the tree and moving on, Steve Parker chose to listen to it by transforming the oak tree into sound sculptures, allowing the tree to perform its own memorial. At the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk. 

The artist carefully turned them into playable records, similar to vinyl records, and each wooden record is engraved with recordings of migratory birdsong. These are sounds from bird species that once rested in the oak during different seasons of its life. When placed on a custom-made wooden turntable, the records spin and play, letting the tree remember the life it once supported.

all images courtesy of Ivester Contemporary and Steve Parker

Other instruments include medical breathing bags and brass

The records shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself, and as the wood continues to dry over time, it naturally cracks and changes shape. This affects the sound quality, causing the music to fade, distort, or fill with static. The artist allows this to happen instead of fixing it, so in this way, the sound slowly disappears, just like memories change over time. Sound in the exhibition is also shaped by the sheng, a traditional Chinese mouth organ linked to ideas of rebirth and the phoenix. Sheng musician Jipo Yang performs the birdsongs, and throughout the gallery, sheng instruments appear in many forms. Some are played live, while others are connected to machines like ventilators and CPAP devices. These machines gently push air through the instruments, giving them breath. 

Other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree. One includes a live oak branch connected to a camshaft that slowly moves and brushes against a wind chime. Another features a large bass drum covered in wood shavings. When birdsong plays, the shavings gently shake, making the sound visible as well as audible. There are also abstract turntables fitted with horn speakers, turning sound into something you can feel in the room. There’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds. It looks part machine, part organism, and each performance rearranges and activates the sculptures in new ways. The exhibition Funeral for a Tree by artist Steve Parker was shown at the art gallery Ivester Contemporary between November 29th, 2025 and January 10th, 2026.

at the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk

detailed view of the playable records

view of the turntable made from oak tree

exhibition view

there’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds

detailed view of the musical instruments

other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree

the sound sculptures shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself

exhibition view at Ivester Contemporary

project info:

name: Funeral for a Tree

artist: Steve Parker | @steveparker

gallery: Ivester Contemporary | @ivester_contemporary

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Home Sweet Home is an exhibition at MAD Brussels curated by Connie Hüsser that examines the concept of home through the typology of the birdhouse. The project brings together more than 75 birdhouse designs by Belgian and international designers, including Sabine Marcelis, Muller Van Severen, Max Lamb, Philippe Malouin, Shishi San, and others. Through this collective body of work, the exhibition positions the birdhouse as a design object that connects architecture, care, and coexistence across species.

In uncertain times, when the world seems to be faltering on many levels, the idea of home takes on a deeper and more poignant meaning. A home is more than a physical place; it is a refuge, a space of safety, identity, and care. But what does ‘home’ mean today? And for whom does it truly exist? Home Sweet Home starts from these fundamental questions and focuses on a small yet meaningful object: the birdhouse. What initially appears to be a modest functional item is transformed into a powerful symbol of coexistence, care, and empathy. ‘A small object like a bird’s nest can evoke an entire world,’ says Dieter Van Den Storm, Artistic Director of MAD Brussels. ‘It is both fragile and strong at the same time, just like the idea of home itself. After all, there really is no place like home.’

Linde Freya Tangelder | all images courtesy of MAD Brussels

Exploring Home: Birdhouses as Objects of Care and Coexistence

The exhibition is curated by Connie Hüsser, a Swiss interior stylist, journalist, exhibition maker, and curator. Throughout her career, she has developed a sharp eye and an intuitive feel for the unexpected. For more than twenty years, she has been creating distinctive scenographies: bold collages in which objects, materials, and colors come together, often anticipating emerging cultural trends. Since 2018, Hüsser has been traveling the world with Objects with Love, an exhibition project presenting a carefully curated selection of original designs by contemporary designers, with particular attention to a younger generation. In 2019, Connie Hüsser was awarded the Swiss Grand Prix Award for Design. In addition, she has been working with Vitra since 2004 and designed the colorful Leo smiley sponge series for the Danish design brand HAY.

Birdhouses make it possible for humans and birds to coexist. They not only allow us to observe and study the lives of our feathered companions up close, but also function as artificial refuges carefully created by human hands. Within this context, the concept of home takes on a broader meaning. Each birdhouse bears witness to human care and engagement, inviting reflection on migration, ecology, and shared habitats. With Home Sweet Home, Connie Hüsser encourages us to rethink what living truly means. Not only for ourselves, but also for the many other forms of life with whom we share this world.

Ferréol Babin

More than 75 Interpretations of the Birdhouse Typology

Belgian artist Linde Freya Tangelder on her creation: ‘With A Notch, I wanted to create a shelter in which the bird feels safe, without being cut off from its surroundings. The design sits somewhere between a pavilion, a wall cabinet, and a chair: a kind of outdoor house with an open view. Wood was an obvious choice. The carvings refer to my Sculpting Archetypes series, which consists of gouged and lacquered wood, shaped into sculptural, primitive archetypes, with carvings that reveal the natural tulipwood beneath.’

For Home Sweet Home, Hüsser invited more than 75 designers to rethink the birdhouse. Each design is a unique treasure in its own right: an object in which material, form, and color reflect the designer’s unique identity. Ranging from ceramic and metal to wood and textiles, some birdhouses appear delicate and precious, others robust or playful, functional or distinctly sculptural. Belgian designer Bram Vanderbeke created a birdhouse in cast aluminum, while Linde Freya Tangelder explored her signature architectural language using tulipwood. French designer Maya Eline Leroy embraced color through air-drying clay, gouache, and acrylic paint. British designer Bethan Laura Wood, Dutch designers Sabine Marcelisand Roosje van Donselaar, and Korean designer Kwangho Lee also conceived birdhouses in their recognizable styles. In total, more than 75 leading Belgian and international designers will usher in spring at MAD Brussels. 

Bram Vanderbeke

Audrey Large

James Shaw

Roosje van Donselaar

project info:

name: Home Sweet Home

curator: Connie Hüsser | @objectwithlove

venue: MAD Brussels | @mad.brussels
location: MAD Brussels, Nieuwe Graanmarkt 10, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

dates: March 11th – April 25th, 2026

participating designers: Adrianus Kundert (NL), Akiko Mori (JP), Anna Zimmermann (CH), Andrin Bührer (CH) & Marko Peric (CRO), Antrei Hartikainen (FI), Arthur Vandergucht (BE), Atelier Fig (NL), Audrey Large (FR), Aurélien Veyrat (FR), Bertjan Pot (NL), Bethan Laura Wood (UK), BNAG / Oliver-Selim Boualam & Lukas Marstaller (DE), Bram Vanderbeke (BE), Bregje Sliepenbeek (NL), Carsten in der Elst (DE), Céline Arnould (CH), Chris Kabel (NL), Christian Neuenschwander (CH), Clara von Zweigbergk (SE), Daniel Rybakken (NO), David Taylor (SCT), Derek Wilson (IRL), Diego Faivre (FR), Elakform (SE), Fabien Cappello (FR), Fango / Francisco Jaramillo (CO), Ferréol Babin (FR), Flora Mano Lechner (AT), Fredrik Paulsen (SE), Germans Ermičs (NL), Hanna Whitehead (ISL), ​ Hyunjee Jung (KR), James Shaw (UK), Jenna Kaës (FR), Jenny Nordberg (SE), Jochen Holz (DE), Joseph Dupré (UK), Julien Renault (FR) & Levi Dethier (BE), Juri Roemmel (CH), Kajsa Willner (SE), Kiki van Eijk (NL), Klemens Schillinger (AT), Kristine Five Melvær (NO), Kuo Duo (KR), Kwangho Lee (KR), Lex Pott (NL), Linde Freya Tangelder (BE), Lukas Wegwerth & Corinna Dehn (DE), Marco Campardo (IT), Mark Braun (DE), Martino Gamper (IT), Max Lamb (UK), Maya Eline Leroy (SE), Michela Castagnaro (IT), Miguel Lauber (CH), Muller Van Severen (BE), Noelani Rutz (CH), Nicolas Zanoni (FR), Odd Matter (NL), Olga Flór (BE), Ori Orisun Merhav (BE), Pablo Francisco Figueroa (CL), Pettersen & Hein (DK), Philippe Malouin (UK / CA), Rasmus Nossbring (SE), Roosje van Donselaar (NL), Sabine Marcelis (NL), Sam Baron (FR), Seongil Choi (KR), Shigeki Fujishiro (JP), Silvio Rebholz (DE), Simon Klenell (SE), Soft Baroque (UK), Stephen Burks Man Made (US), Shishi San (BE), TAF (SE), Vormen (BE), Waltter Mahlberg (FI), Wang & Söderström (SE)

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Galactic Resource Utilization (GRU) Space plans to build the dubbed first hotel on the moon using inflatable and stone-like buildings mixed with local soil. The team believes that space tourism will be the fastest way to start a real economy on the Moon, and by letting people visit and stay there, they can earn money, test new technology, and slowly build the tools needed for long-term human life beyond Earth. They plan to design the first hotel on the moon for short stays instead of long-term accommodation, just for visitors instead of residents.

At first, it will be ‘small, simple, and mostly built on Earth’, but over time, it can grow larger and use materials found directly on the surface. The team adds that the hotel is not just for tourism. It is also a test ground for building bases, roads, storage areas, and other structures that humans will need in space. The design expects to use inflatable structures, similar to space tents, and they are packed tightly into rockets for shipping and then inflated once they reach the Moon. This design allows for weight and space saving during launch.

all images courtesy of GRU Space

dust with liquids from Earth creates stone-like buildings

Each inflatable structure for the first hotel on the moon has layers, including a protective one so people do not damage the walls. Then there is an airtight layer to keep oxygen inside. On the outside, there are layers that protect against tiny space rocks, radiation, heat, cold, and strong sunlight. The recently founded GRU Space team says that the later versions of the hotel will also use Moon soil, called regolith, to build solid outer walls. 

Machines, the team says, will mix Moon dust with binding liquids brought from Earth to create stone-like building material. The main goal of the project is to create a self-sustaining space economy, with the hotel being only the first step. After that, the team wants to build Moon bases, then repeat the process on Mars. Later on, they plan to use space resources instead of constantly sending materials from Earth. In the far future, this could lead to large human settlements across the solar system.

view of the Lunar Cave Base where the inflatable system is deployed

Mission timeline to build the ambitious tourism project

The ambitious project is based on the inflatable space habitats that have already been tested in space. Their timeline begins with the 2029 mission, where a small test module will land on the Moon. It will inflate a tiny version of the hotel to test air pressure, temperature, and radiation protection, as well as test making building material from Moon soil using a small drill and mixing system. The 2031 mission comes next, where the structure will land near a natural hole in the Moon’s surface, called a lunar pit, which can help protect against radiation and extreme temperatures. 

A bigger inflatable structure and stronger building machines will be tested, and this mission will also send back the first images from inside a lunar pit. The 2032 mission is when the first real hotel on the Moon is set for deployment. It will be fully built on Earth, then sent to the Moon and inflated. It will host up to four guests and support them with oxygen, water recycling, temperature control, and emergency safety systems. The hotel is designed to last at least 10 years, which will be continued for the fourth mission. It includes the hotel’s expansion using Moon-made materials as well as robots building the solid outer walls around the inflatable living spaces. So far, the team is gearing up to carry out the first part of the mission, set for 2029.

later versions of the project foresee building stone-like structures

the inflatable architecture is packed tightly for rocket shipping

the first mission begins in 2029

project info:

team: Galactic Resource Utilization (GRU) Space | @gru.space

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From the Upper Valley in the Foothills is a group exhibition at Marta in Los Angeles, on view through January 31st, 2026. Co-curated and co-organized by Vince Skelly, with material support from Angel City Lumber, the exhibition brings together 22 artists and designers working in and around greater Los Angeles, using reclaimed wood sourced from Altadena, the foothill region most profoundly impacted by the 2025 Eaton Fire. Marking one year since the devastating wildfires that reshaped vast portions of Los Angeles County, the show positions material as a carrier of memory, loss, and regeneration.

At the center of the exhibition is wood, framed as a specific, sourced, and transformed substance. Each participating artist selected a section of lumber milled by Angel City Lumber, a Los Angeles–based operation that salvages fallen and removed trees for reuse in community projects. The wood originates from Altadena and includes species such as Aleppo pine, cedar, coastal live oak, and Shamel ash, a mix of native and naturalized trees that reflect the biome of the region. These materials are shaped into functional forms: chairs, stools, benches, bowls, and containers. In this context, function becomes a way of imagining how devastated spaces might once again support everyday life.

Vince Skelly

the material embraces traces of its previous life

On January 7th, 2025, the Eaton Fire broke out in the San Gabriel Mountains, burning for twenty-five days before being contained on January 31st, 2025. It claimed nineteen lives and destroyed over nine thousand structures, becoming the second most destructive wildfire in California’s history. At the same time, the Palisades Fire raged across the county, ultimately taking twelve lives and destroying nearly seven thousand structures, making it the most destructive wildfire in the history of the City of Los Angeles.

The works are installed throughout Marta’s Silver Lake gallery in a loose, forest-like arrangement. The objects are positioned so that visitors must walk through them, navigating the space as one might move through a wooded landscape. This curatorial decision reinforces the central premise of the exhibition: trees are not passive scenery but active participants in lived environments. They offer shade, structure, boundaries, and orientation. In their transformed state, now furniture or vessels, they continue to hold and support bodies, possessions, and gestures of rest.

Across the exhibition, the material retains traces of its previous life. Some works incorporate charring, visible grain, knots, or irregularities, resisting the idea of total refinement. The artists approach wood as a collaborator, shaped by time, climate, and fire. This shared material origin creates continuity between the works, even as they diverge in form, scale, and intention. On the anniversary of the fires, the exhibition becomes both a monument and a proposition, a collective act of attention toward what remains and what can be reused.

Ryan Belli

the exhibition brings together 22 artists and designers

Asher Gillman Left Over Chair, 2025 Cast Aluminum, Aleppo Pine

Dan John Anderson Circle the Square Chair, 2025

Sam Klemick Dressed Stool, 2025

Vincent Pocsik Five Ears in Cedar, 2025

the show positions material as a carrier of memory, loss, and regeneration

Tristan Louis Marsh Floral Stool, 2025

Mark Morones Everybody Gets a Guitar, 2025

Vince Skelly Assembled Foothills Side Table, 2025

Max Hertz Petal Stool, 2025

Noah Cohen Small Chest (Forever Changes), 2025

Nik Gelormino Hitchhiker (No. 03), 2025

Brian Guido of Barni Goudi McNally Stool #1, 2025

Brian Guido of Barni Goudi McNally Stool #2, 2025

Jonathan Synder & Alejandro DePass of Snyder DePass Santa Rosa Chair, 2025

project info:

name: From the Upper Valley in the Foothills

designers: Dan John Anderson, Ryan Belli, Noah Cohen, Nik Gelormino, Asher Gillman, Brian Guido (Barni Goudi), Max Hertz, Sam Klemick, Tristan Louis Marsh, Doug McCollough, Mark Morones, Lindsey Muscato & Joshua Friedman (Base 10), Christopher Norman, Dave O’Brien, Shin Okuda, Vincent Pocsik, Ellie Richards, Josué da Silva, Vince Skelly, Rachel Shillander, Jonathan Snyder & Alejandro DePass (Snyder DePass), Marley White

venue: Marta | @marta.losangeles

location: 3021 Rowena Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039

dates: January 10th – 31st, 2026

curation: Vince Skelly (co-curated and co-organized)

material partner: Angel City Lumber

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OBRO is a material development project by OKUNOTE Tokyo Studio that combines leather production waste with PVC to create a new composite material positioned between leather and plastic. By integrating finely ground leather edge powder into semi-transparent PVC, the project explores alternative approaches to material reuse while examining visual depth, translucency, and surface texture.

The project emerged from the collaboration between a PVC processing manufacturer established in 1947 and a leather goods factory specializing in high-quality bags. During leather manufacturing, offcuts and edge remnants are generated through cutting and finishing processes. Although these remnants retain the same material quality as the finished products, their irregular dimensions typically limit opportunities for reuse. OBRO approaches this by processing leather edges into fine powder and incorporating them directly into PVC sheets, challenging conventional PVC production methods that prioritize uniformity and material purity.

all images courtesy of OKUNOTE Tokyo Studio

OKUNOTE Tokyo joins skilled craftspeople for OBRO collection

Through iterative prototyping, the combination of leather powder with semi-transparent black PVC produced a layered visual effect in which leather particles remain visible within the material. The resulting surface exhibits controlled translucency, with embedded particles responding subtly to changes in light. An embossed finish inspired by leather grain was added to enhance tactile qualities, producing a surface that balances resin durability with a warmer, more organic feel. The material retains the functional properties of PVC, including light weight, water resistance, and structural stability, while introducing visual and tactile characteristics commonly associated with leather. Variations in particle distribution occur naturally during production, resulting in sheets with distinct patterns and degrees of opacity.

The name OBRO is derived from the Japanese word oboro, referring to a soft or indistinct visual condition, such as mist or diffused moonlight. This concept informs the material’s semi-transparent quality, which partially conceals contents rather than fully obscuring them. The initial application of OBRO appears in a collection of bags and small goods, where the composite material is paired with full-grain leather. Developed in collaboration between OKUNOTE Tokyo Studio and skilled craftspeople, these products are designed to accommodate wear over time, allowing surface changes to register through use. OBRO positions material reuse as an integral design strategy, demonstrating how manufacturing byproducts can be reintroduced into new material systems with distinct visual and functional qualities.

OBRO combines leather powder with PVC to create a semi-translucent composite

the material sits conceptually between leather and plastic

leather offcuts and edge remnants from bag production are repurposed

an embossed leather-grain finish enhances the tactile quality

embedded leather particles remain visible through the semi-transparent material

the material responds subtly to changes in light

OBRO maintains PVC’s durability, water resistance, and light weight

semi-transparency partially conceals objects without fully obscuring them

vatural differences in opacity give each object a distinct visual character

the material is designed to age gracefully, showing surface changes over time

the first OBRO collection applies the material to bags and small leather goods

fine leather edge powder is integrated into semi-transparent PVC sheets

project info:

name: OBRO

designer: OKUNOTE Tokyo Studio | @okunote.tokyo

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Vox is a modular brass chair designed by architect Massimiliano Malagò that examines the structural challenges of collective decision-making through the lens of mathematics. Drawing on the work of economist Kenneth Arrow and 18th-century mathematician Nicolas de Condorcet, the project materializes logical paradoxes that arise in ranked-choice voting (RCV) systems. Using New York City’s recently adopted RCV system as a case study, the design explores how electoral mechanisms intended to ensure fairness can instead produce paradoxes, dissatisfaction, and instability.

The project focuses on the act of voting as both a civic ritual and a site of systemic tension. Vox addresses structural concerns within voting systems, rather than issues such as low turnout or fraud, highlighting how different electoral methods can yield conflicting results. In November 2019, New York City voters approved a charter amendment implementing RCV for mayoral primaries and other municipal elections. While RCV was intended to address limitations of the previous first-past-the-post system, including runoff costs and low voter engagement, it also introduces potential structural contradictions, which Vox seeks to examine in material form.

all images by Helene Helleu, Cristina Colussi

letter-patterned brass panels assemble Vox sculptural object

Designer Massimiliano Malagò’s Vox is constructed from 75 waterjet-cut brass panels connected by 100 custom 3D printed interlocking joints, forming a lattice that functions as both structure and ornament. Each panel’s fold extends into a flange with an X-shaped cut, receiving a two-part joint that locks the elements together. The panels represent individual votes, with letters A, B, C, D, and E applied in vinyl to denote candidate rankings.

Three hypothetical electoral scenarios are embedded within the object, each illustrating a structural limitation of the voting system. One scenario demonstrates a violation of monotonicity, in which ranking a candidate higher can paradoxically cause that candidate to lose. Another highlights the violation of the independence of irrelevant alternatives, showing how the addition or removal of a losing candidate can alter the election outcome. The third scenario references the Condorcet paradox, where collective preferences form a circular loop that prevents the emergence of a clear winner.

Vox is a modular brass chair designed by architect Massimiliano Malagò

Vox turns abstract political concepts into spatial experience

By translating abstract mathematical reasoning and electoral theory into a three-dimensional object, Vox exposes the inherent instability of democratic systems. The brass lattice functions as both a symbolic seat of power and a physical representation of the complexities of collective choice. Each panel and connection visualizes the interplay of individual votes and systemic rules, revealing that instability is not an error but an intrinsic feature of democratic processes.

Through this material exploration, Vox demonstrates how design can transform abstract political and mathematical concepts into a tangible, spatial experience, highlighting the structural limitations and paradoxes embedded within contemporary electoral systems.

the project examines collective decision-making through mathematical principles

the design translates voting paradoxes into a physical object

New York City’s ranked-choice voting system serves as the project’s case study

the chair addresses contradictions inherent in ranked-choice voting

Vox presents democratic instability as an inherent structural condition

the structure forms a lattice that is both ornamental and load-bearing

project info:

name: Vox New Yorkea

designer: Massimiliano Malagò | @massimilianomariamalago

photographers: Helene Helleu | @helenehelleu, Cristina Colussi

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Harry Nuriev collaborates with Baccarat for a unique reworking of the Maison’s historic Zénith chandelier. On view at the Crosby Gallery until January 18th, 2026, and at Maison Baccarat in Paris starting January 20th, the project repositions the chandelier as a speculative object shaped by scarcity, memory, and reuse. Drawing on his concept of transformism, Nuriev inserts pens, jewelry, bottle caps, CDs, keychains, and more fragments of everyday life into the iconic crystal structure, proposing a future where the ordinary becomes precious.

Nuriev approaches the chandelier as a carrier of cultural memory. ‘The Zenith Baccarat chandelier becomes a messenger, carrying pieces of our present into an imagined future, where repurposing becomes a way of life sustained by whatever we once overlooked,’ the designer shares. His intervention is not decorative but narrative, imagining a world in which crystal no longer exists, forcing future owners to substitute missing elements with whatever they can find. The result is a speculative archaeology of the present, where disposable objects acquire symbolic weight and emotional value.

Chandelier Baccarat x Harry Nuriev | images by Palast Studio

Crystals meet found materials in a hybrid light installation

This reimagined Zénith draws on the sculptural vocabulary of the chandelier, including twisted arms, fleurs de lys, arrowed prisms, octagon chains, and small bells, while extending its form through a visible metallic framework. This structural addition becomes part of the composition, emphasizing the hybrid identity of the work between functional lighting, installation, and emotional artifact. Fine crystal manufacturer Baccarat describes the piece as both monumental and intimate, conceived as an experience that blurs boundaries between utility and expression.

The collaboration follows Nuriev’s earlier interventions at Maison Baccarat, where he transformed the entryway into a graphic manifesto of gestures, words, and symbols associated with crystal-making. Across all of these works, the New York- and Paris-based designer‘s approach avoids nostalgia, dislocating the past and placing historical objects into speculative futures, where their meaning must be renegotiated. In doing so, the collaboration with Baccarat becomes more about value as something unstable, relational, and dependent on memory.

Harry Nuriev collaborates with Baccarat for a unique reworking of the Maison’s historic Zénith chandelier

the project repositions the chandelier as a speculative object

Nuriev inserts pens, jewelry, bottle caps, CDs, keychains into the iconic crystal structure

the designer approaches the chandelier as a carrier of cultural memory

imagining a world in which crystal no longer exists

project info:

name: Zénith Chandelier 

designer / artist: Harry Nuriev | @harrynuriev

client: Baccarat | @baccarat

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The cement-like mechanical keyboard ATM 98 draws its Misty Dusk colorway from the style of Tadao Ando’s concrete Church of the Light in Osaka, Japan. The tool has a soft gray color and a calm, simple look, with a single key next to F12 being the change of color. The surface is matte, and the soft RGB lights glow through the keys. This colorway is joined by the other versions named Frost Whisper and Night Ink, with the former using a see-through design inspired by translucent luggage. Parts of the keyboard are clear, so you can see some of the inside structure. 

Here, the inner layers, gold-colored circuit board, and glowing switches become part of the design. At night, when the RGB lights turn on, the keyboard looks like it is glowing from within, especially with Night Ink and its orange-colored beam resembling fire. The ATM 98 mechanical keyboard uses a 98-key layout, including a number pad, and the brand Angry Miao describes the tool as whisper-quiet. It is because the design follows a ‘silent-first’ idea, meaning it is built to be very quiet while still feeling smooth and satisfying. In this case, each key press comes without a sharp noise when the user begins typing.

all images courtesy of Angry Miao

Star ring knob at top can control the computer’s volume

This quiet feeling comes from how the keyboard is built inside. The ATM 98 uses a gasket mount system, so the keys sit on soft layers instead of being fixed tightly to the frame. There are eight layers inside, including foam and flexible materials, that absorb sound and vibration, and these layers help stop hollow sounds and scratching noises, making typing calm and smooth. Under the keys of the mechanical keyboard are switches called Bsun Light Sakura switches, adjusted to make typing quieter and smoother. 

The material inside the switch reduces friction, so keys move easily. When users press a key all the way down, it feels firm, and when they let go, it springs back cleanly. At the top of the ATM 98 mechanical keyboard is a knob called the Star Ring. By default, it controls volume, but users can change what it does using dedicated software, so they can set it for scrolling, switching modes, or running shortcuts. The knob is made of metal and acrylic, so it feels solid. It also lights up, continuing the team’s Tadao Ando design inspiration through the Church of the Light.

view of the star ring knob

upper view of the ATM 98 mechanical keyboard

the typing tool draws its Misty Dusk colorway from the style of Tadao Ando’s concrete Church of the Light

this version has a soft gray color and a calm, simple look

rear view of the typing tool

other colorways glow in orange

view of the Night Ink colorway

the Frost Whisper colorway is inspired by Off-White x Rimowa’s iconic translucent luggage.

the keyboard uses a 98-key layout

project info:

name: ATM 98

brand: Angry Miao | @angry.miao

The post cement-like mechanical keyboard reimagines the style of tadao ando’s concrete church appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Shigeya Miyata’s pause is a series of functional objects that upcycle discontinued Honda motorcycle components by casting them in concrete. The project explores the relationship between motion and stillness by deliberately immobilising parts originally engineered for movement. Through this process, mechanical elements are removed from their original context and reintroduced as domestic objects with new functions.

Automotive and motorcycle components are typically designed to operate in motion, while concrete acts as a static material that supports and contains structural systems. In pause, these opposing conditions are brought together by embedding precision-engineered parts into a solid concrete base, halting their original purpose and allowing alternative uses to emerge. Once fixed in place, components shift from concealed mechanical systems to visible elements, highlighting their material qualities, manufacturing accuracy, and formal characteristics.

all images courtesy of Shigeya Miyata

Mechanical elements are embedded into solid concrete forms

The project repositions motorcycle parts as everyday objects, including mirrors, vases, pen holders, and photo frames. Each object is produced by hand, with designer Shigeya Miyata overseeing the entire process from mould development to final casting. The series was developed as part of uppar, Honda’s upcycling initiative, which focuses on repurposing discontinued vehicle parts for non-automotive applications as part of a broader sustainability effort.

Due to the limited availability of the original components, all objects are produced in small editions. The mirror is available in two editions using VT1300CX parts, while the vase is produced in eleven editions made from CBR250RR components. The pen holder and photo frame are each limited to three editions, both created using RC213V-S parts.

Positioned between design and art, pause examines how value, function, and material identity can be redefined through stillness. By suspending motion and reframing engineered components within a domestic context, the project proposes an alternative approach to reuse that emphasizes material continuity, precision, and reinterpretation.

pause is a series of functional objects created by casting discontinued Honda motorcycle parts in concrete

the project explores the relationship between motion and stillness through material transformation

the mirror is produced in two editions using VT1300CX parts

components engineered for movement are deliberately immobilised

mechanical parts are removed from their original automotive context

hidden motorcycle components become visible domestic objects

material qualities and manufacturing precision are brought to the surface

the vase is made in eleven editions from CBR250RR components

the series includes mirrors, vases, pen holders, and photo frames

precision-engineered elements are embedded into solid concrete forms

original mechanical functions are suspended through casting

all objects are produced by hand from mould-making to final casting

the project was developed as part of Honda’s upcycling initiative, uppar

pen holders are limited to three editions

pause reframes engineered components through stillness and reuse

each object introduces an alternative use through stillness

concrete functions as a static base that halts motion

discontinued vehicle parts are repurposed for non-automotive use

photo frames come in three editions

project info:

name: pause
designer: Shigeya Miyata | @shigeya_miyata

pause mirror materials: Honda part, concrete
pause mirror dimensions: 93 x 302 mm

pause vase materials: Honda part, concrete, glass
pause vase dimensions: 72 x 272 mm

pause penholder materials: Honda part, concrete
pause penholder dimensions: 78 x 100 mm

pause photoframe materials: Honda part, concrete
pause photoframe dimensions: 150 x 102 mm

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post honda motorcycle parts are reborn as functional sculptural home objects appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.