IDEOLOGIST bureau has created a series of installations for the French cognac brand François De Martignac. They are designed to integrate the brand into the ambiance of restaurants. IDEOLOGIST developed the concept for the brand integration and the design of the items drawing inspiration from the idea of the “edge of the world”, in its literal and metaphysical sense.
The Atlantic has been seen as the “edge of the world” for Europe and European civilization. It is at the intersection of these two worlds – the old and the new – that the augmented tradition of the Martignac house was born. The cohesive theme for the 3 objects is Normandy.
The item titled Lifeform was designed with the help of AI. Approximately 10 concepts including ‘freedom’, ‘ocean’, ‘art’, and ‘future’ were inputted. This process provided IDEOLOGIST with several images from which the studio selected and further refined one form with the help of artists and sculptors. This form invites a multitude of interpretations and meanings. It simultaneously resembles many things while not being anything specific. To some, it may evoke tree roots, to others an underwater coral, or a flame of fire.
Normandy’s chalk cliffs of Etretat inspired the second item – Edge of the World. Once an ocean bed, today’s cliffs were part of an underwater landscape. The natural metamorphoses and the blurring of the aquatic and terrestrial realms have inspired many artists such as Claude Monet. Conventionally viewed from the side, the installation presents a hypothetical overhead cross-section of the cliffs and ocean depths.
The third installment is a mural made of plaster. It pays homage to tradition and is a symbol of Normandy – the famed Mont-Saint-Michel castle, reminding us that traditions can be augmented rather than dismantled.
Photo credit: Ernest Yakovlev
