Thirty days Acquamarine, Merel Karhof
The Fondazione Claudio Buziol, founded by Italian label Replay, plays host this week in Milan to Venice 2132, an exhibition by four ex-RCA students chosen by Martin Gamper.
The four, Fabien Cappello, Merel Karhof, Lucia Massari and Bethan Laura Wood have been artists in residence of the foundation for three months, living in Venice with a studio space located on the city’s Canal Grande. The aim of the three months was for the designers to create works which demonstrate their personal ideas as developed against the inspirational backdrop of Venice and its traditions. ARTS THREAD looks at the projects created by Merel Karhof.
Thirty days Acquamarine, Merel Karhof
Merel Karhof researched the water of Venice – how its colour appeared to change every day. For the Thirty days Acquamarine project, Merel recorded the colour of the water by taking photographs on a daily basis on her way to the studio, always at the same hour using the same camera settings.
Using this colour palette, Merel created a pattern that is digitally printed on silk and then designed into a collection of accessories, which reminds us of the daily changing colours of the water. Each piece has a label that records the number of days during which the colours were collected.
Reverse, Merel Karhof
Merel was fascinated by how objects are transported by water and was increasingly drawn to the Damigiana the local object used to make, transport and distribute wine. Reverse is an an object in the spirit of the Damigiana.
Reverse Purple; Reverse Blue, Merel Karhof
In collaboration with Murano glass makers Archimede Seguso, Merel designed a 50 cm high hand-blown bottle that sits inside a hardwood crate that, once safely in the house, can be then be turned upside down and used to display the bottle.
