5 Designers Create 5 Exclusive Objects for St. Vincents’ 5th Anniversary.

(Top) Ben Storms and (Above) The Rock Armchair by Fred Rigby. Photo: Ligia Poplawska.

5 Designers for St. Vincents’ 5th Anniversary. Photo: Alexander Popelier.

St Vincents has invited five designers to create an exclusive object to celebrate the Antwerp design store and gallery’s fifth anniversary. Over a year in the making—the gallery has since celebrated its sixth birthday—the result is an exhibition of original, inspiring pieces that eschew trends and reflect the narratives of their makers.

Inviting friends Ben Storms, Frank Stabel, Lukas Cober, Fred Rigby and Cedric Gepner & Sophie Gelinet of Studio HAOS—many of whom have graced our pages previously, the designers were given complete freedom to create and experiment as they please.

Ben Storms presents a unique Ex Hale Wallpiece in casted and coloured glass, his first foray into colour that has continued his research into blown shapes. Small, visible marks of the moulding process have been left untouched as a witness of the making.

The bronze stool by Frank Stabel – who works under the name of Haring – has designed “an ode to unpretentiousness”. It’s basically a vertical stick and a horizontal beam, connected with a constructive knot. First made in wood, the stool is then cast in bronze, a material that contradicts the humble origins of this object.

Lukas Cober’s table for 5/5/5 is intentionally clean and straightforward, highlighting the materiality. For this unique edition, he wanted to emphasise the sculptural value of the piece, hence the use of bronze for the base of the table. The delicate translucency of the top grants a striking contrast with the heavy bronze.

The Rock Armchair by Fred Rigby is inspired by the stone clusters and rock formations seen on beaches. Asymmetric and informal, like rocks jutting out the earth, it invites the sitter to relax without imposing a fixed seating position. The tactile Pierre Frey fabric gives it a light and soft quality matching its intended use as a lounge chair.

For 5/5/5, HAOS has designed a desk made of solid oak, plywood and oak veneer. Starting from tried-and-tested oak, this new HAOS piece derives its value from its well-thought-out form rather than from excessively rare materials or craftsmanship virtuosity. In this sense, it echoes design masters such as Enzo Mari, Gerrit Rietveld and Charlotte Perriand.

The exhibition runs till the 9th of July at their Antwerp Gallery. For more information click here.

A desk made of solid oak, plywood and oak veneer bu HAOS.

[Images courtesy of St. Vincents. Photography by Ligia Poplawska and Alexander Popelier.]