'UNEARTHING' a polemic design exploration of Mexico's metallurgical oeuvre

Unearthed from the silos of time and territory, metals emerge as silent storytellers, weaving tales of landscape, culture, heritage and human ingenuity. UNEARTHING: The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork delves profoundly into this narrative through the design medium, as a polemic exploration of Mexico's metallurgical oeuvre. Showcasing an array of sculptural works, furniture designs and contemporary lighting designs, the exhibition, presented by Dubai-based Gallery Collectional, is a collaboration between Mexico City-based designers Manu Bañó, Héctor Esrawe and EWE Studio, and is on display from November 13 - December 12, 2024.

"The studios have mined and minted their medium; from steel and iron to copper, brass and bronze, while demonstrating a profound respect for the integrity of materials and the land from which they are unearthed and shaped. The result is an alchemical transformation; with age-old techniques reinterpreted to create contemporary design pieces," the show's curators mention in an official press statement.

The show at Dubai's first space dedicated to collectible design coalesces Spanish designer Manu Bañó's minimalist approach, Mexican designer Hector Esrawe's artisanal skills and the high-quality craftsmanship of Mexico-based EWE Studio, marking their first international collective exhibition. "Collectional showcases the world's finest creative thinkers and makers, and it is a true pleasure to witness first-hand the incredible craftsmanship of Manu Bañó, Héctor Esrawe and EWE Studio, and to explore their unique perspectives on Mexican craft and culture," notes Cristiano Baccianti, chief executive of Gallery Collectional.

Bañó's minimal design philosophy transforms raw materials such as copper, brass and steel into timeless objects of utility and aesthetic value. The OBJ-06 Coffee Table mimics a cymbal in its concentric hammering, where copper's surface reverberates with the energy of its making. The coffee table's dual layers, separated by deliberate spacing, serve as both a functional shelf and an artistic gesture, revealing the symmetry and individuality of each handcrafted sheet. The OBJ-08 Oval Wall Mirror elevates copper's reflective property, transforming it into a contemplative sculptural element. The product designs unveils the metal's raw, tangible account—tempered by fire and distinguished by its unpatinated, unpolished finish.

The OBJ-09 Pendant Lamp by Bañó balances functionality and form with a juxtaposing patinated graphite exterior and radiant copper interior. The suspended geometric sheets project upward and downward light, creating a dynamic and visually engaging play of indirect and focal illumination. Similarly, the OBJ-10 Cabinet speaks to the furniture designer's tenets of purity and balance, where the cabinet's unrefined, hammered doors bear the marks of craftsmanship. At the same time, the contrasting mirror-polished interior creates a tactile narrative. Each sculptural design is a testament to Bañó's belief in reducing design to its essential elements while preserving the integrity and story of the material.

Esrawe's ensemble of sculptural furniture and lighting designs blur the line between art and practicality. The Frecuencia Chairs, crafted from bent stainless steel bars, evoke a rhythmic vibration with recurring, reflective surfaces that ostensibly fade into endless motion. On the other hand, the sculptural artist's luminous ribbon-like form of Shifting Parabola IV engages fluidly with its surroundings, as its brass sheets and LED lighting strike a dynamic interplay between tension, weight and light.

The Gear Side Tables and Gear Desk by Esrawe impersonate the honeycomb-shaped cardboard grid, translating its organic structure into staggering lucent forms. "When cut into irregular shapes it reveals aleatory vertical patterns along the edges, creating a sculptural expression," according to the official press release. These patterns, enhanced by radial cuts and refined finishes such as polished bronze or aged patinas, lend each piece a vivid texture and a jewel-like monumental structure.

EWE Studio's work is "dedicated to high-quality craftsmanship that delves deep into the country's culture and territory, with a focus on narrative pieces that translate into contemporary design objects," the press release mentions. Crafted from polished brass, the Táas Cabinet and Táas Desk imitate the architectural forms of Mesoamerican constructions with stepped geometries and folded surfaces that transition between "solid and void, open and closed, light and shadow, concrete and imaginary."

The studio's Estela lamp design, a cast bronze light sculpture, channels the gravitas of Mexican stelae—Mesoamerican monoliths that recorded history and mythology. Its raw, metallic textures and polished, illuminated surfaces meld cultural memory with intricate craftsmanship. Meanwhile, the Nebula Lighting Sculpture captures the lighting designers' fascination with natural phenomena, featuring molten glass flowing within brass cages to evoke the ethereal beauty of interstellar nebulae.

UNEARTHING: The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork seeks out in detail, Mexico's cultural visage, imbuing it with a modern design spirit to produce sculptural objects. From the raw allure of bronze and copper to the evocative scent of copal, the design exhibition fabricates a cohesive, multisensory experience that reverently tethers the past to the present.

'UNEARTHING: The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork' is on view from November 13 - December 12, 2024, at the Gallery Collectional, Eden House, Jumeirah Garden City, 41st St – Al Satwa – Dubai.