Members Only
Please join as a member and click "Members Only" to read more complete articles and exclusive content.
The Beauty Mines in the Pursuit of Great Art
The splendor of nature, crafted by the hands of the Creator, bestows the earth with majestic and tranquil landscapes that captivate the eye and serve as a rich source of inspiration for creators. Because nature always provides boundless inspiration, it also acts as an artistic space and a sanctuary for the soul, making people yearn to be close to it and create serene scenes that accompany them in their daily lives.
The Journey to Seek Creative Inspiration
Integrating natural textures into living spaces is a romantic way for people to feel closer to nature and experience the imagery of forests and mountains. The admiration for the grandeur of stone as a material makes it a refined element in interior design. BE NEW FORM, a building materials brand that views stone as a form of art and positions itself as an art sharer, recently opened a new space called "ART 165 Luxury Stone Aesthetics Gallery." This immersive sensory experience provides a new venue for people to appreciate the elegance and meaning of stone. Inspired by the Carrara marble used by Michelangelo to sculpt the famous statue of David, the design of ART 165 invites visitors to open their senses and immerse themselves in the aesthetic appreciation of stone as they move through the space.
Like the winding and undulating roads in mountainous areas, the path leading from the street to the exhibition space meanders through water features and green landscapes, making visitors feel as if they are embarking on a journey to find the material, just like Michelangelo sought the perfect stone for David. Upon entering the exhibition space, visitors must open a door hidden behind the new logo on the door handle, symbolizing the journey into the artist’s mining area and the discovery of a vibrant rock field.
Immersing in the Artistic Mines of Inspiration
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Paying homage to the Renaissance masters' dedication to sculpting art, the gallery showcases sintered stone slabs, allowing visitors to experience the abundant inspiration that fuels artistic creativity. The sunken space of the gallery mimics the mining scenes of the Carrara region, with ten TV walls and stone slabs displayed on either side, reminiscent of the treasured stones valued by artists. Inside the darkened exhibition room, the illuminated TV frames draw visitors' attention to a two-minute video showcasing the intricate process of transforming raw stone into the masterpiece of David. The scene then shifts to Taipei 101, illustrating the continuous aesthetic link from Italy's renowned quarries to the cityscape of Taipei.
The gallery reflects the extension of the Carrara Mountains from the Alps at the France-Italy border to Tuscany, presenting sintered stone slabs in Alpine Green and Carrara White as the main themes. The luxurious Alpine Green and the refined Carrara White, used by Michelangelo, form the core of the artistic aesthetics. Additionally, the gallery showcases a variety of stones from Brazil and other parts of the world, offering rich textures of stone and wood for a diverse aesthetic experience. The adjacent display corridor, with its glass flooring, allows visitors to admire the original state of the stones. The story of the Alps, told through nearby inscriptions, emphasizes the origin of the stones and their unique qualities. One wall showcases tiles made of earth materials, illuminated by four different lighting conditions to highlight the natural luster and texture of the stones, including golden mica and glistening materials, adding a touch of nature's essence. After appreciating the intricate textures of the stone slabs, visitors can view ten TV walls displaying the application of these materials in living rooms, studies, and other spaces, bringing the aesthetic of stone slabs closer to everyday life.
Among these slabs, the Italian brand Italgraniti is renowned for its porcelain products, offering granite and stone slabs in technical ceramic for flooring and coverings. The new series launched this year features surfaces inspired by the concrete effect, combining modern aesthetics with anti-slip and soft textures to redefine home spaces. Similarly, the Italian brand Fiandre uses marble and granite-inspired textures in its slabs, applying them to floors and facades. Their Active Surfaces eco-active materials provide antibacterial properties, while the Maximum series offers large slabs measuring 300x150 cm, suitable for versatile space applications.
Experiencing the Aesthetics of Stone Slabs in a Ceramic Gallery
Strolling into the aesthetic experience area, visitors can directly feel the appearance of sintered stone slabs. Designers can use large TV screens to share with clients the configuration of these slabs in home spaces, enjoying wine, cheese, or snacks while envisioning the look of their future homes. A magnetic mood board allows for easy assembly of favorite material combinations on a magnetic wall, facilitating the planning of space aesthetics. To avoid color discrepancies due to different lighting conditions, one wall provides various light sources for accurate material representation, ensuring the desired spatial expression. The space features classic Italian brand furniture, coffee machines, and other elements, creating an atmosphere imbued with Italian aesthetics and aiming to immerse visitors in the world of premium stone materials through an innovative business model.
Embracing natural textures with sustainable sintered stone slabs, stones from the mountains are destined to be depleted as people seek their beautiful textures. However, sintered stone slabs, with a thickness of only 6 mm, avoid the loss of calcium deposits in natural stone, offering scratch resistance up to 2 cm thick. At the Salone Internazionale del Mobile (also known as i Saloni) in Milan, many brands have begun using stone slabs as tabletops to highlight their exquisite textures. Visiting ART 165 Luxury Stone Aesthetics Gallery offers a glimpse into the brand's curated selection of artistic stone slabs from around the world, allowing visitors to explore new possibilities of natural textures in design.
