‘Collection 02’ by Theoreme Editions is an audacious mix of ceramics, metals and wood

Theoreme Editions’s latest collection comprises objects inspired by a range of distinguished art and design creations and movements, namely the spartan features of industrial design, the creations of the Surreal painters, the Bauhaus movement and the fetishisation of forms that is often associated with Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini. These sculptural objects, created in collaboration with several contemporary French designers and craftsmen, comprise ten objects, touted ‘Collection 02’, which are a result of experimentations done in juxtaposing the most rudimentary forms against each other to create an array of uniquely sculpted objects. Serving as a derivative of the first collection unveiled by the UK based brand at the Milan Design Week in 2019, this collection extends and enunciates the poetic inspiration that guides the ideas behind all their products.

Paris based Theoreme Editions, founded by David Giroire and Jérôme Bazzocchi, is a company that focuses on producing both sculptural and functional furniture items and objects. The brand’s name takes inspiration from the popular 1968 Italian movie ‘Teorema’, directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Apart from its name, the brand, through their products, also embodies Pasolini’s fixation on the overall structure and form of the creations and the inclination to tell stories.

‘Collection 02’, designed by Adrien Messié, Matéo Garcia, Pool, SCMP Design Office, Exercice Studio, Victoria Wilmotte, Wendy Andreu, Hall.Haus, Francesco Balzano and Services Généraux comprise tables, shelves, stools, seatings and totem pieces, all of which are produced in limited quantities. These pieces, defined by elemental shapes, smooth textures and metallic and minty colours, serve as tangible links between utility and sculpture. All the pieces are designed to function as monolithic objects that, while utilitarian, can feature as sculptural totem pieces. While they are created to ascribe to the minimalist themes of ‘Collection 02’, each object, with its strong identifying features, also commands a dominating presence in its own right. While the objects in ‘Collection 01’ were softer in form and texture, Theoreme Editions’s latest collection, made out of glass, metal, wood and ceramics, is sharper and sits more comfortably under the categorisation of industrial design.

Adrien Messié’s Fibonacci Table, for instance, features a sharp collocation of wood and ceramic, coloured in white and matt green respectively. The marriage of the two contrasting materials, their respective smooth and matte textures and the organic and rectilinear shapes of the table surface and its legs respectively create a beautiful confluence of opposites on the simply shaped structure. The table is accompanied by a ceramic side table shaped like a tree trunk crafted in green.

The Jimena Vase by Matteo Garcia is an organic sculptural piece that evokes the paintings of Yves Tanguy and other surrealists. Crafted out of lacquered fibreglass, the white artefact appears like a washed down version of the characters that populate Surrealist paintings of 20th century Europe. It was crafted by utilising a version of 3D scanning and some physical sculpting techniques. Pool's Achilles seating incorporates surrealism and contemporary fluidity. The combination of the lacquered metal cube and tweed cushion on top of it again creates a balanced product, sharp and soft in equal capacities.

Apart from more traditional materials like wood and ceramic, the usage of metal is also paramount in the objects that make up ‘Collection 02’. SCMP Design Office’s Aluminium Pendant Lights, Exercice Studio’s Aluminium Chair, Victoria Wilmotte’s Pleated Console and Wendy Andreu’s Maze Mirror play with the flexible material to produce abstract designs that twist and turn to form new shapes. While the pendant lamp's simple geometries and uniformly coloured surfaces recall Bauhaus forms, the rawness and simplicity of the Aluminium Chair is almost haunting. Built to serve as a skeletal piece, it is reminiscent of the mass produced items that were created when the industrial era began.

Wilmotte’s Pleat Console, created with Atelier François Pouenat, integrates electric blue cylindrical supports as part of the otherwise austere console bent in a zig-zag form. Wendy Andreu, in her Maze Mirror, utilises the rules of reflection to create a monolithic aluminium piece that comprises slats of mirror on top of an aluminium frame. The one-way glass incorporated on the sculptural piece enables the secret viewing of the other side without being seen. These aluminium objects appear in contrast with the soft and organic designs of all the other pieces that make up the collection, thus infusing balance.

In an assemblage that is largely made up of objects crafted out of hand, Services Généraux’s Chain Vase breaks the monotony. The uniquely shaped ceramic vessel is 3D printed and appears to subvert the rules of gravity to stand still despite its unique composition. The matte black ceramic object, formed by extruding a linked chain, undermines the ruggedness of metallic chains to present a softer form. The collection is completed by Hall.Haus’s Udo Udo Coffee Table and Francesco Balzano’s Constantin Bench. In the Udo Udo Table, the subtlety of the glass surface in contrast with the knotted wooden ropes under it present the right amount of bustle, just like all the other pieces that make up the collection. The Constantin Bench, carved out of a single piece of travertine, is a unique piece devoid of any joints.

‘Collection 02’ was recently showcased at the Paris based Galerie Bertrand Grimont, alongside the works of Vincent Beaurin, Clédia Fourniau and Justin Morin. The large series of experimental furniture and decorative pieces by all the contributors made for an invigorating showcase that could herald interesting conversations and discoveries.