Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/48690
Frederik Molenschot's City Lights chandelier. GALERIE VIVID This is your second solo show of Stu- dio Job. What draws you back to their work? The first time we presented work by Job was in 1999, so we have a long re- lationship with them and these unique works were a perfect opportunity to again surprise the American public. What is the message behind this col- lection? In combining old crystal blocks from this traditional, famous Belgium fac- tory with new bronze from Studio Job and turn them into contemporary 'De- sign Art' shows that the work of Studio Job has a strong base in history. How do Studio Job's work relate to the other designers that Vivid repre- sents? What we search is work by designers and artists that tell the story of this time. Studio Job is a prefect example of that mission. Just when it seems that empathy is in shortest supply, someone like Frederik Molenschot comes along to affirm a faith in humanity. From creating installations for a homeless shelter in Amsterdam to devising a concrete that reveals flower and leaf shapes when struck by rain, the Dutch designer has effectively peddled an uncanny ability to see the world through others' eyes. "I'm interested in everything and everybody, because everything that we have around us works together," says Molenschot. "The more notice we take of our surroundings and get involved in our environment, the better." While visiting high-voltage Shanghai, though, those eyes had difficulty focusing on mid- night highways. He returned to his Zaandam studio to create Citylight, a chandelier comprising cast lights appended to swirling arms. Individual lampshades are formed from a mold and distorted sequentially to mimic the appearance of moving cars' headlights. The anamorphic result freezes our overstimulated milieu and transforms it into poetry.—David Sokol . CARPENTERS WORKSHOP GALLERY CULTURED 59