Metal Rock collection, 2016

Michael Young for V.V Gallery

Veerle Verbakel Gallery specialises in limited edition twenty-first century design objects and art, unique pieces and special commissions. Belgian-born Veerle Verbakel commissions designers to create design art objects using high quality industrial materials and techniques. “The Duality of Design” is the driving principle which guides her selection of artists, designers and objects.

 

For this collection, Michael revisited the Metal Rock collection consisting of blue and gold aluminium objects such as a chair, stools and (side) tables. To create this limited edition collection, Michael developed a set of steel tools in which molten aluminium can be injected with high-temperature gas under pressure, resulting in foamy rock formations. Secondly, these objects are coloured blue and/or gold in a facility that normally colours cellphone cases. Every object is unique and hand finished.

The show in Brussels was an extension of Michael Young’s solo exhibition at Grand Hornu “AL(L): Projects with Aluminium” which opened on 31 January 2016. The exhibition was an illustration of objects resulting from specific engineering, development and techniques related to aluminium. Michael Young showed his own products alongside designs by Ross Lovegrove, Jerszy Seymour, Xavier Lust, Charles and Ray Eames, Marcel Breuer and Jean Prouvé.

All photography by Justyna Wierzchowiecka