Osmosis for Swarovski Crystal Palace

Osmosis for Swarovski Crystal Palace 1

Back in April at the furniture fair in Milan, Swarovski Crystal Palace revealed a pioneering exhibition of new work by Arik Levy. The celebrated Swarovski Crystal Palace was transformed into a galaxy of crystal forms, masterminded by its creative collaborator Arik Levy. The installation, Osmosis, was conceived to inspire visitors with a new sense of wonder and appreciation in the beauty and technology inherent in Swarovski crystal.



The dramatic installation and concept was unveiled at the Swarovski Crystal Palace exhibition at Ex Magazzini Di Porta Genova, via Valenza 2. Levy used his multidisciplinary approach to reassess Swarovski crystal itself bysteering Crystal Palace towards a series of installations based on the chaton, the most emblematic of crystal cuts that often bears the label ‘diamond’ cut. In doing so, he moves the spotlight from the crystals themselves to the highly skilled and technical precision cutting that makes their existence possible. Arik Levy explains: "Swarovski is above all about technology. The crystal is the sparkling and poetic result of the company’s heritage, innovation and skill. If you ask them what they do, Swarovski will say they are master stone cutters. It is that mastery which sets them apart from other crystal companies. My aim was to project a new vision, a new DNA, a new dimension on to Crystal Palace and take it somewhere it has never been before”.



Nadja Swarovski with Arik Levy

Crystal Palace was transformed into a parallel universe of crystal, with the chaton form dominating everything from the specially woven 80ft long Tai Ping carpet to the giant wire-frame structures that create an effect of unexpected scale. In contrast to the latter’s transparency, there are also huge marble chatons, the feel of which add to the sensory experience. Contrasts are at the heart of Osmosis: the play between solid and transparent, light and dark, hot and cold, big and small, rough and smooth. It is an effective toolbox, which highlights each state by setting it against its opposite. For Nadja Swarovski, Levy’s vision was truly inspired: "Arik Levy has moved Swarovski to an arena of using crystal as a sculptural ingredient. He understands that crystal is more than something which sparkles; it is a valuable material which is relevant to the fields of lighting, of furniture and of art. It was time for a change at Crystal Palace and Osmosis is an interpretation of Swarovski at its best: the cutting of stone".

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