Muller Van Severen has spent the last 15 years masterfully blurring the lines between art and design, and their latest exhibition, Frames, at the Tim Van Laere Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, takes this exploration to new heights. The exhibition, their first solo show at the gallery, is an immersive experience that challenges our understanding of space, functionality, and sculpture. Featuring over 30 works, each unique in its form and approach, the show continues Muller Van Severen’s investigation into the intersection of sculpture and functional object.
At the heart of Frames is a process Muller Van Severen has reined over time. The duo, comprising Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, begins with a single plate, using minimal intervention – cutting, folding, and opening the material – to create depth and dimension. The result is a collection of pieces that transition between abstraction and figuration, merging sculptural expression with usability. While the works can be appreciated as art objects, they are designed to be used, transforming the way we interact with the objects around us and the spaces we inhabit.
The architectural inspiration behind these pieces is clear, with references to geometric forms and bold visual vocabularies reminiscent of the Suprematists, pioneers of the early 20th-century art movement focused on the fundamentals of geometry. Works like Frame #17 and Frame #20 nod to Russian artist Kazimir Malevich’s 1915 Suprematist installation, The Last Futurist Exhibition of Paintings 0.10. Muller Van Severen takes it a step further, crafting forms that are not just to be viewed but to be lived with – a continuation of Austrian artist Franz West’s vision of furniture as art.
Muller Van Severen shows us that objects, particularly functional objects, can elevate and shape our experiences of space. By breaking down the boundaries between art and design, the designers make art and functional design virtually indistinguishable, encouraging us to integrate these pieces into our daily lives to make art a lived experience rather than a distant object to admire.
Muller Van Severen
For more information on Muller Van Severen’s exhibition Frames, visit timvanlaeregallery.com.
Photography courtesy of Tim Van Laere Gallery, Antwerp-Rome.
