Supernova is a minimalist collection new works by Lebanese design-duo david/nicolas shown at Carpenters Workshop Gallery. For their inaugural exhibition at Carpenters Workshop Gallery, david/nicolas bring two distinct bodies of work that explore different sides of the pair’s multi-faceted practice: Constellation and Monocle, each an interpretation of a post-explosion phenomenon. ‘The death of a star results in either a black hole or a supernova, here, death is only a transformation, it outshines everything else and evolves into a new life. It reminds us of Beirut, this city that was reborn over and over again, a place where time and space are different, where beauty is in the small things or even in the memories of it’ – david/nicolas. Through a collection of tables, cabinets and rugs, david/nicolas built upon their fascination with time and the universe to create a retro-futuristic ensemble that speaks to the beauty of regeneration. Selecting inspirational touchstones that range from oriental geometry, to antique furniture, robots, space travel, and the music of Daft Punk – david/nicolas’ retro-futurist aesthetic is continued in their newest series of work through the narrative at the core of Supernova.
The show exhibits pieces that chart the transformative nature of the celestial body through materials that evoke concepts of both form and void. Monocle is a series centered around the representation of large masses of dense matter. Featuring material such wood, marble and bronze juxtaposed against transparent glass, referencing the equilibrium of mass and light in a star. The Constellation series finds inspiration in the new life of a star and the explosion phenomenon. These pieces revolve around the relativity of perception and how such a phenomenon can be interpreted into palpable matter. Low tables rendered in travertine feature clean lines and undisturbed surfaces that are understood to represent the new beginnings of a celestial body. The dialogue between past and present, contrasting materials and forms, transformation and regeneration in Supernova is also a reflection on the designer’s home, an amalgamation of influences with one foot in the Middle East and another in Europe. A city that continuously regenerates and transforms itself.
