'St Vincents edit by Michael Hilal' marks the gallery’s debut at COLLECTIBLE NY '24

COLLECTIBLE New York 2024, an experimental platform that showcases disparate works from the fields of product design and collectible design, is currently open to visitors in New York, USA. With STIR as a media partner, the design fair running from September 5 - 8, 2024, platforms various established and upcoming design galleries, studios, brands and independent makers in a dynamic integrated space. With each design exhibition created in collaboration with leading curators, design institutions and foundations, COLLECTIBLE presents thematically curated projects during the short design event.

Of the many showcases at COLLECTIBLE NY 2024 is St Vincents edit by Michael Hilal, which encompasses new works by nine design practices platformed by the Antwerp-based gallery St Vincents. The show is curated by San Francisco-based designer Michael Hilal, who "creates spaces inspired by the ease of living and sun-kissed imperfection of his home state of California," according to the Belgian gallery.

With this exhibition serving as St Vincents’ debut in the US, the gallery granted Hilal the opportunity to bring together the artistic sensibilities of North America and Belgium in the showcase. "This exhibition, created in collaboration with Michael Hilal, was meant to embody the transatlantic dialogue that shaped its development," says Geraldine Jackman, who co-founded the gallery and design store with Henri Delbarre in 2016 'on the principles of provenance, craft and intent'. "Anchored by Michael’s Big Sur Sofa, we aimed to highlight the work of both American and European artists and designers whose perspectives resonate strongly with us. Many, such as Studio Kuhlmann, Nick Valentijn, Hadge, and Haring, are either debuting in the US for the very first time or showcasing an entirely new body of work," Jackman adds.

In this showcase, Hilal juxtaposed some of his existing and new works against those of American and Belgian designers and artists that he previously collaborated with. Designers and design practices such as Brian Thoreen from Los Angeles and Mexico City, Ian Felton and Marrow Project from New York, Christopher Norman and Samantha McCurdy from Los Angeles, EWE Studio from Mexico City and Hilal from San Francisco have come together with Belgian design studios such as Ghent-based Hadge, Antwerp-based Haring, Nick Valentijn from Roermond in the Netherlands and Studio Kuhlmann from Cologne in Germany.

"I am honoured with the trust and freedom that Henri and Geraldine gave me to curate this presentation, being the first time St Vincents has ever shown in the US. We share many values like the importance of personal connection, creating and supporting community and pushing creative boundaries," says Hilal.

Hilal’s contribution, besides the curation, is his Big Sur collection, a furniture design series that the interior designer refers to as a 'love letter' to his home state of California. Against the soft tone and features of Hilal’s sofa and stool design sit the similarly hued artwork by Samantha McCurdy and the dark-hued Walnut totem by Christopher Norman. In aesthetic conjunction with the totem sit Hadge’s console and stool made of bronze patinated wood, emblematic of the dominant usage of natural materials in Belgian design.

Felton’s oakwood and upholstered bench and chair design add an earthy charm and character to the space while Thoreen’s bronze and rubber Rational/Irrational Console serves as a classy addition to the gallery space. Some other bronze pieces within the gallery include the bronze stool by Haring and the miniature pieces Memoria Stool #9 and Small Black Magma by EWE Studio. While Memoria Stool #9 is a cast bronze design, Small Black Magma is made by melding hand-blown glass with bronze. Thoreen’s white silicon Untitled - Corner Light illuminates the earthy space with warm light, while also serving as a minimalist hanging sculpture.

Valentijn’s walnut and inox Mirror with Drawer adds a humorous charm to the room and the Lady Glove Lamp by Studio Kuhlmann is a floor lamp with a totem-like profile. Marrow Project’s linen and plastic lamp lightens the mood and the exhibition’s weight.

With this series of functional and artistic showcases, the exhibition manages to infuse the space with a sense of utility and intimacy. One can imagine living in a space such as this and gaining inspiration from the artistic and aesthetic objects that manage to perform functional roles in tandem. The dark-hued wall serves as a backdrop for lighter-hued objects, hence demarcating the space with a strong visual boundary, while maintaining an openness with the placement of objects that imbue a sense of lightness within the room. The glass wall, on the other hand, witnesses the placement of heavier and darker-hued objects in its vicinity, contributing to the overall physical and visual balance of the space.

‘St Vincents edit by Michael Hilal’ is on view from September 5 - 8, 2024, at COLLECTIBLE New York 2024, in Water Street Projects WSA, 161 Water Street in New York City.