Harry Nuriev presents Designer of the Year installation at Maison&Object
Maison&Objet's Designer of the Year Harry Nuriev applied his signature silvering effect to antique furniture presented as part of a futuristic installation at the design fair.
Nuriev, the founder of creative practice Crosby Studios, developed the installation for the recent edition of the biannual Maison&Objet trade fair, which took place from 15-19 January at Paris' Nord Villepinte exhibition centre.
The Designer of the Year showcase provided an opportunity for the Paris and New York-based designer to present his Transformism manifesto, which involves adapting existing objects to give them a new purpose or meaning.
"Transformism is the act of turning something into something else — not by erasing its origin, but by amplifying its essence," he explained in a text presented within the exhibition space.
"It is about giving a second life to objects that have lost their place. It is about creating meaning from what others overlook. It is about questioning what beauty means today – and discovering it in what has been ignored, rejected or forgotten."
The installation responded to the event's theme of Past Reveals Future by presenting historic objects in a futuristic space where everything was rendered in metallic finishes.
In a film produced prior to the event, Nuriev said he wanted visitors to "completely disengage with all the labels of what's old and what's new and just receive every object as something that has no past and future."
The exhibition comprised a salon-like arrangement of Napoleonic-style furniture and objects, which the designer covered with metallic fabric to create crinkled reflective surfaces.
The vitrine-like space featured a glossy floor and walls, with an overhead lighting grid contributing to the minimal brutalist aesthetic.
Along the back wall, Nuriev presented a collection of miscellaneous found objects, all sprayed silver to create a uniform aesthetic.
The presentation echoed his previous Lèche-Vitrines installation, created to highlight how overproduction renders objects obsolete while also providing opportunities for them to take on new uses and values.
The exhibition, originally developed for Galerie Sultana, evolved into a vitrine presented at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where objects inspired by the museum's collection were painted silver and displayed alongside found items.
The Maison&Objet installation aimed to immerse visitors in silence and simplicity, providing a counterpoint to the data-driven churn of modern life and the idealised beauty that dominates the media.
Nuriev founded Crosby Studios in 2014 as a multidisciplinary practice that creates objects and spaces for brands including Balenciaga, Nike, Baccarat and Art Basel.
The studio's previous projects include a transparent vinyl sofa filled with discarded clothing from French fashion brand Balenciaga, and an interior for a New York restaurant informed by the work of director David Lynch.
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