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This post was written by Serena Borghero, director of media relations in Europe. Serena recently attended the opening of Michael Young’s new exhibit at the Grand Hornu in Belgium.
International designer Michael Young is known for exploring different materials and processes. Over the last 10 years, Young has been extensively using aluminum, creating both mass-market products and limited edition pieces.
Now through May, Young’s innovative designs are featured in an exhibit at the Grand Hornu Museum in Belgium. The exhibit, “AL(L) – Projects in Aluminum,” highlights the characteristics of aluminum – its flexibility, lightness and solidity – while celebrating design.
The LessThanFive Chair at the Grand Hornu.
I had the privilege of seeing the exhibit during a press conference, and it is a wonderful experience. The architecture of the Grand Hornu provides a striking backdrop to the exhibit, and it’s apparent Young and curator Maria Cristina Didero used the building as inspiration for the show. The Grand Hornu was a mining complex in the 19th century and has lots of fascinating neoclassical architectural details.
The exhibit takes place in 12 niches throughout what used to be the building’s stable. Each niche contains a different Young project that uses aluminum in some way. The displays highlight Young’s work on bicycles, bookshelves, stools, lamps and more. In a side room, there is a refined selection of historical pieces made in aluminum, among them pieces from designers such as Jean Prouvé, Richard Hutten, Ross Lovegrove and more.
Lamps designed by Michael Young are on display in the exhibit.
Along the way, the LessThanFive Chair is shown hanging on a scale opposite a 2.2kg weight, demonstrating the evolution of materials from aluminum to carbon fiber. According to Didero, “’The Pendulum’ installation takes advantage of the innate lightness of carbon fiber, which has replaced the attributes of aluminum in modern-day factories.”
According to Young, aluminum was a revolution in the design industry because of its lightness, flexibility and strength. From his point of view, carbon fiber is the “new” aluminum, a material that will be a similar breakthrough in the design industry.
Thanks to its lightweight nature, the LessThanFive Chair makes reconfiguring social and collaborative spaces a delight instead of a chore, and that delightful experience was evident at the Grand Hornu as guests picked up the chair with a single hand.
Michael Young is known for his experimentations in materials and design. Working with the Coalesse Design Group, he created a chair truly worthy of an artistic exhibition.
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