Sign up to receive free Design updates and get a daily digest email from myFT that covers the latest Design news. Discover the fascinating world of artist and designer Isaac Monté, who draws inspiration from childhood memories spent in his grandmother’s basement. He now creates unique pieces by growing salt crystals in his studio in Rotterdam. His latest creations include a beautiful pink crystal vase with magenta ribbons and a glittering pendant light. Even Ariane de Rothschild, the CEO of Edmond de Rothschild Group, has purchased one of his vases.
Salt is becoming a popular medium for artists and designers, as it not only has aesthetic appeal but also symbolizes its value and potential. French designer Roxane Lahidji utilizes salt in her sculptural furniture pieces, showcasing its similarities to marble. She uses salt harvested from marshes in the Rhône delta to create milky-white marmoreal side, console, and occasional tables.
Several artists and designers, such as Lukas Wegwerth and Erez Nevi Pana, use a similar process to Monté, suspending objects in a heated salt solution to form crystals. It is a slow and uncertain process that can take weeks and may not always turn out as expected. However, the transformative nature of salt, turning something ordinary into a precious work of art, is what captivates these artists.
From salt panels lining the interior of The Tower in Arles designed by Frank Gehry to salt tiles used in architectural projects, salt is gaining recognition as a versatile and intriguing material. Monté explores the concept of time with his crystal creations, while Wegwerth discovered the intelligence of crystals when they grew along fault lines, healing cracked objects.
Salt is no longer just a precious commodity but a medium for artistic expression. Artists like Monté, Lahidji, Wegwerth, and Nevi Pana are pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with salt, transforming it into stunning and unique creations.
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