Valerie_Objects Presents Everyday Objects in Their Most Beautiful and Unique Appearance
Valerie_Objects Presents Everyday Objects in Their Most Beautiful and Unique Appearance
Celebrating Designers’ Signature Style with Stunning Collections at Valerie_Objects
Name:
Valerie_Objects
Photography:
SISKA VANDECASTEELE
Words:
Caroline Meeusen
Valerie_Objects is an Antwerp-based design label founded by Axel van den Bossche, the CEO of Serax, and art director Veerle Wenes, the owner of the Valerie Traan gallery in Antwerp. The two creative minds combined their knowledge and passion for all things good and beautiful in this amazing brand through which they “translate signature works of designers, architects, and artists into tangible objects.” Their mission is to appreciate the aesthetic meaning of everyday objects, focusing on what makes them special. That is why they started with cutlery, a tool that is not easy to design to be beautiful as well as functional. Among others, Maarten Baas, Muller van Severen, and Koichi Futatsumata have designed their own interpretation of these daily tools, leaving behind the classic silverware shapes. After this initial cutlery series, more creations and more collaborations followed. Today, they mostly work with Muller Van Severen, Maarten Baas, and Destroyers/builders. Valerie_Objects has grown into a global design platform “presenting everyday tools and objects that have a unique appearance” as their main philosophy.
Co-founder Veerle curates the collection of creators they choose to collaborate with. Always opting for designers who are in line with their philosophy and who have a signature style. “We understand the designer’s drive to develop a durable signature style, as well as the consumer’s desire to connect with a patiently selected object.” Hence the unique yet accessible creations of the label, designed for daily use. Veerle talks a little more about their philosophy and working method.
VISUAL PLEASURE Magazine:
How did you meet Axel, and what gave you the idea to start this brand together?
Veerle Wenes: I wanted to do a project on cutlery, which is something you cannot produce yourself. The idea was to ask a number of designers to design cutlery. I wanted to be able to actually realize a selection of them, and for that, I needed a producer. That's how I ended up with Axel. He was immediately positive about the idea, and so we started talking. This is how Valerie_Objects emerged.
Why the name Valerie_Objects?
We did not want to bring out that first project of cutlery under Serax (of which Axel is CEO) but under a separate label since we had a distinctly different concept. We therefore had to look for a name that did not yet exist. So we quickly went for the most pragmatic and efficient as Valerie_Objecs did not yet exist. It is also the first name I used in the name of my gallery Valerie Traan Gallery.
How would you describe the style or design philosophy of Valerie_Objects?
We don't really have a fixed style as we work with different designers. That is also the uniqueness of the label and our typical design philosophy: All the people we work with should have their own signature that you immediately recognize. When you see a piece, you have to know right away who the designer is. We don't want to be a brand that creates things of which there are already enough; we really want to bring out the style of the designers and bring objects that have a very clear signature of those designers. Therefore, we have the ambition to work with designers not just once but to really go further with them and develop multiple projects and series with them.
Do all designers that you collaborate with have carte blanche, or is there a certain style/brief they have to keep in mind?
A bit of both, actually. For the first series of cutlery, for example, I asked the selected designers to design cutlery, so that was a clear assignment and brief, but otherwise, they were free to do their own thing with it and design their cutlery according to their style. We are now thinking bigger and want to design and produce larger interior pieces such as furniture and lighting as well in order to keep our range of objects broad enough.
Why the choice to go back to basics, to everyday objects?
Everyday objects have interested me for a long time. I once made an exhibition about it, called ‘‘Le Fabuleux Destin du Quotidien’’ (which translates to ‘‘The Fabulous Destiny of Everyday Life’’). In it, I brought together 40 people, artists, architects, and designers, who would work around everyday objects and use that as inspiration. In my gallery in Antwerp, too, this is often a starting point and inspiration. With that as the basic concept, in the beginning, we were able to acquire a unique place in the gallery world. We walked the line between art, design, and architecture. Everyday use objects are therefore an important source of inspiration for the Valerie Traan gallery, and at Valerie_Objects, we actually design and produce such objects.
You’ve worked with a couple of great names in the design world. How does that feel, and how did you experience those collaborations?
In the beginning, you are new and unknown, and it is quite exciting to talk to designers, but almost everyone responded positively, and they all turned out to be really nice people. I already had some experience, so maybe that also helped, but I was really surprised by the pleasant, positive reactions and conversations, I had when meeting people for these collaborations.
Is there still a certain new brand or designer you’d love to collaborate with in the future?
Definitely, we are always evolving and looking for new ideas, collaborations, and designers. There are even a few in the pipeline that I can't give away too much about yet. There are definitely some important names on my wish list. One collaboration that I can already reveal and that we are looking forward to is with the Swiss design studio BIG-GAME.
