Date: 2017
Artist: Snarkitecture (Daniel Arsham, Alex Mustonen)
Brand: Gufram
Color: Gray
Material: Glass, Polyurethane
Dimensions: L 100 cm x D 20 cm x H 200 cm
Availability: 3 weeks
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The Italian publishing house GUFRAM joined forces in 2017 with the architects and artists of the Snarkitecture studio to bring its very first mirror to life.
If they were chosen for this project, it is for their explorations between art and architecture, as did the radical Italian designers of the 1960s and 1970s. From their association with the Gufram brand was born " Broken Mirror ", the first mirror of the house published in gray or in black version limited to 77 copies.
This sees its reflective surface surrounded by a flexible polyurethane frame which takes the form of a gap in the wall. A gap where you can see your reflection, but also an optical effect which gives the feeling of having access to another dimension.
Thus, Broken Mirror is a project that ironically plays with a misunderstanding, taking advantage of the concept of "soft/non-soft", perfectly imitating concrete but "soft" and flexible, and highlights the main characteristic of the mirror, which is to reflect the world in front of him, but also to create a new world, a parallel world.
The mirror frame is available in black or gray (the white version is now sold out).
The polyurethane framing the mirror is entirely cut by hand.
For this reason, each piece is slightly different from another, and is therefore a unique object.
The effect similar to the wall texture is created with Guflac, a special paint patented by Gufram which is applied entirely by hand; it makes polyurethane look like leather while maintaining its elasticity, thus allowing for a unique aesthetic.
Glass mirror, hand-hollowed soft polyurethane frame
Guflac © coating
Delivered in a wooden box with certificate of authenticity
Learn more about this designer
Snarkitecture is a New York-based collaborative practice founded by Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen.
Snarkitecture's work focuses on designing existing spaces or collaborating with other artists and designers. They aim to reuse or abuse existing architecture to make the architecture perform the unexpected. Arsham and Mustonen met while studying at Cooper Union in New York and established Snarkitecture as a formal practice in 2008.
The American artist Daniel Arsham combines sculpture, drawing, architecture and cinema in the design of his works. He imagines futuristic works retracing the history of our present. Thus, he adds crystals to fragments of his works to give them this precious and priceless appearance. Our history and its vestiges are therefore a source of inspiration and richness in his eyes. The materials he uses support his point: sand, selenite and volcanic ash are worked to appear ancient.
Daniel Arsham now carries out numerous partnerships with luxury brands such as the latest collaboration with Dior.
Learn more about the brand
Gufram is an Italian furniture manufacturer based in Barolo (Piedmont region). Founded in 1966 by the Gugliermetto brothers, Gufram, acronym for "Gugliermetto Fratelli Arredamenti Moderni", takes the form of a creative laboratory: they combine their knowledge of local craftsmanship with emerging architects and artists of the time. Their sculptured art objects revolutionized the aesthetics of 1960s furniture. From 1965, Gufram followed the artistic direction of designer Giuseppe Raimondi, who associated the company with emerging artists and architects of the time.
They study new choices of materials and mainly choose polyurethane foam to pad and structure their sculptural creations. Polyurethane will become their trademark. In addition to mastering the processing of flexible polyurethane, Gufram has developed and patented a special finish: Guflac®, the true essence of the company's artisanal spirit: this special and unique paint job makes surfaces more uniform, consistent and elastic . Soft, elegant shapes are thus created, innovative shapes that would otherwise be impossible to cover.
Gufram icons, regardless of the collection they are part of, are made by sculpting flexible polyurethane foam which is then finished or decorated by hand with the Guflac® backing.
Their creations, in the wake of pop art, are anchored in the avant-garde movement of the 1960s.
In 1968, Gufram presented its products under the name Multipli: industrially reproduced art objects in limited edition. Gufram then enjoyed considerable success with the public and the international press. Among their most remarkable creations: the Bocca sofa, originally designed by Salvador Dali, the Cactus coat rack, the majestic Pratone seat or even more recently the grotesque stools in the shape of a tombstone The End from the Toiletpaper collection, or the Broken Mirror imagined by Snarkitecture.
These “domestic sculptures” now appear in the most beautiful homes and the most renowned museums in the world.
The Gufram company was bought in 2012 by entrepreneur Sandra Vezza and her son Charley as artistic director. They were able to breathe new life into the company, notably on the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2016 but also with new collaborations such as that with Moschino “Moschino kissed Gufram”.
