On Tuesday, May 12th, coinciding with the inaugural day of the first edition of Maison & Objet Americas in Miami, Luminaire hosted Omer Arbel for a Designlives lecture at its Miami Design District showroom, for a stimulating and educational presentation. Founder of Vancouver based Omer Arbel Office and Creative Director of Bocci, Omer Arbel shared the design processes and inspirations behind Bocci’s 16, 30, 71 and 73 series. After the lecture, throughout the evening reception, the designer carried on conversation with the guests who were intrigued with the ethereal window installation of the 73 that accentuated the tension between fabric and glass with an amorphous sculptural formation resembling clouds.
Omer Arbel’s philosophy is based on the intrinsic mechanical, physical and chemical qualities of materials as fundamental departure points for his designs. Exploring an unconventional technique whereby glass is blown into extremely heat-resistant ceramic fabric, the 73 has a unique shape resembling translucent clouds with a textural surface eliciting qualities of both liquids and solids. Describing his design ethos, Arbel says, \”For us it’s never been about lighting specifically, though we have been involved in lighting. Our mission is about evoking some sort of intangible ethereal quality… An ambient condition… A sense of unreality… Some allusion to the romantic ideal of the sublime…\”
Designlives is an ongoing storytelling forum developed by Luminaire with the sole purpose of inviting our community to experience design in a new way. Devoted to being more than a furniture showroom, Luminaire strives to be a sanctuary fostering inspiration and appreciation for good design through education.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
