ISAAC MONTE

The Mineral Series is inspired by the remarkable beauty of crystals found in nature. Isaac Monté has dedicated himself to capturing this beauty in a range of stunning objects that are now available for your home.

The growing process of the objects is a powerful metaphor for the passage of time. Each piece is completely unique, with its own shape, colour, and texture, which is the result of the organic development of the object. The artist takes great care in ensuring that each piece is a one-of-a-kind work of art.

The production process is based on the natural crystallization of minerals and the influence of the designer on the formation process. It can take several weeks to create the perfect shape, interesting colour combinations, and dimensions of crystals that make up our products. The process is carefully monitored and manipulated to ensure that each piece is as beautiful as it can be.

The production process utilizes sustainable materials and minimal waste, making the crystal vazes  a great choice for those who want to enjoy natural beauty without harming the planet.

Each piece of the Mineral Series is a testament to the beauty and wonder of nature.

The Large Vase is the perfect size for a bouquet of flowers. But it can also be used without flowers, a real showstopper for your interior.

The vase has an aluminum inner vase, which you can easily take out and put in again, the change the water for your flowers. The crystal vase itself is not waterproof, but the aluminum inner vase is waterproof.

Plastic Dandy Chair by Isaac Monté

110 x 90 x 100 cm

Isaac Monté has created this unique piece, the Plastic Dandy chair.

Plastic Dandy is a sitting sculpture designed by the Belgian designer, but produced in Norway. The cold, naked plexi-plate contrasts with the warm, woollen plaid.

The transparent piece of furniture is formed in such a way that light accentuates the curves. It is been made in one piece of plexi that has been folded by heat into two triangular forms, symbolising the male figure. The triangular forms are echoed in the pattern of the plaid.

Although the sculpture and the plaid are two different objects, they have been designed together and should be seen as one object. Both pieces evoke different feelings: warmth and cold, nudity and serenity, the old-fashioned and the modern. This combination of both objects is innovative.

We ship worldwide. Price on request.

edwin@artgalleryvoute.com for more information.

The Meat Project

Series of light objects | Various dimensions | Discarded meat

Every year tons of food are being thrown away by supermarkets, because the food expires before it is being sold. For this project I re-use expired meat from supermarkets. By taking the material out of its context and reframing it I want to create awareness around issues of waste in relation to meat production, distribution and consumption, and to show the urgency of evolution in those practices.

Expired slices of bacon get decellularized upon a laboratory treatment. With this process - that is currently being used in the latest research on tissue regeneration - meat loses all its cellular content, turns transparent white, feels rubbery and gets a marble look.

I discovered that this recycled raw material can be shaped, dried, glued and stretched. By applying this technique I am not only changing the look and shape of meat, but above all its meaning.

The result is a series of lighting objects; their shape is inspired by Escherichia coli, a bacteria that resides in meat and causes meat spoilage after a certain period. 

Commissioned by and in collaboration with BioArt Laboratories

In the permanent collection of Centre Pompidou Paris.

Weaving Light

2022 - ongoing

collection of light objects and sculptures

various dimensions

nylon rope and LED

DM for more info and purchase.

"With this project I want to research how light can be introduced in the interior in the form of a sculpture, object or curtain. I am fascinated by how rope can refract and filter the light, and how the intensity of the light can be influenced by knotting the rope in different ways and playing with the density. By experimenting with different ways of braiding, with different thicknesses and with different colors I aim to influence the refraction of the light and to create a filter by means of the rope. With the project I want to make a combination of craft and technology, by combining rope weaving with light.

The use of rope comes from a fascination for sailor techniques and bondage. Both also start from a basic material (rope), which is translated into an end product by means of various manipulations (knots). A labour-intensive process that is seemingly simple, but is translated into an intriguing object through repetition and variety of techniques".

In collaboration with Giorgio Gasco

Supported by Creative Industries Fund NL

Crystal Series - The Making of

Isaac Monté has a fascination for unusual materials and an urge to master and manipulate these materials. He is a Belgian designer based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Isaac studied at art academies in Belgium, The Netherlands and Norway. His interest in product design developed at Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, where he graduated as product designer in 2013.

The work of Isaac Monté has been shown in a variety of galleries and exhibitions in Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy and Germany. Isaac is lecturing and lea-ding workshops in various institutions, from the industry (IKEA) to art academies.

Monté was awarded The Threshold Price as most talented graduate in 2013, with his project "Filter Factory". In 2014 he was awarded the Henri Winkelman Award for young creative entrepreneurs in Rotterdam.

In 2015 he was announced as one of the recipients of the Bio Art and Design Awards. This award gave him the opportunity to design "The Art of Deception" in collaboration with Toby Kiers, Professor in Evolutionary Biology at the Free University in Amsterdam.

Education

2017 - 2018

Hogeschool Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Didactic Training Course

2010 - 2013

Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Product Design

Bachelor Degree (graduated Cum Laude)

2009 - 2010

LUCA, School of Arts, Gent, Belgium

Interior Architecture Exam

Master Degree (graduated Cum Laude)

2008 - 2009

National Academy of the Arts, Oslo, Norway

Interior Architecture Exam

Bachelor Degree (graduated Cum Laude)

2006 - 2008

LUCA, School of Arts, Gent, BelgiumInterior Architecture

Bachelor Degree

Awards

2015

Bio Art and Design Award, The Hague, The Netherlands (winner)

2014

Henri Winkelman Award, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (winner)

2013

Drempelprijs, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (winner)

2012

Ronald Maaskantprijs, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (nominee)

CRYSTAL

Our world is changing in a fast and significant way. Progress has been measured by increased speed and efficiency - faster, better, stronger. This has caused a shift in our perception of time. In our fast paced society time seems to fly, time has become a luxury product, time has become a currency.

In reality time has been passing at the same speed for ages. Nature can be seen as the opponent of today’s society. Natural processes are the proof of time. The ‘Crystal’ series is the result of research into stalagmites, one of the greatest wonders of nature.

The growing process of the objects can be seen as a metaphor for time. Each object is unique in shape, colour and texture, due to the organic development of the object. The objects are the result of the natural crystallization of minerals and the influence of the designer on the formation process. This process can take up to several weeks to obtain the perfect shape, interesting colour combinations and dimensions of crystals.

ECLIPSE

The Eclipse series consists of a lamp with a ring of metal, brass or aluminum with a layer of crystal. The LED lighting ensures that the crystal gets a solar glow, referring to the effect of a solar eclipse. The design can be attached to the wall as well as suspended from the ceiling.