As part of 3daysofdesign at Other Circle, Danish designer Karl Monies is unveiling unique lighting pieces. Evoking strange fungal organisms, these creations blend raw nature and artistic craftsmanship in a truly fascinating sculptural approach.
In Copenhagen, Karl Monies transforms the light fixture into a living organism
During the 3daysofdesign event, the Other Circle space hosted an installation resembling a dreamlike forest floor, conceived by Karl Monies. Amid patches of moss, textured lichens, and oxidized metal, the installation went beyond a simple display to offer a true organic ecosystem. Right on the floor, light almost became a physical substance, blurring the lines between functional design and environmental installation.
Light: Somewhere Between Object and Landscape
The lampshades, crafted from patinated copper and exposed metal plates, fully embrace their rivets, welds, and the marks of their creation. This rejection of polishing and smooth surfaces is by no means accidental; for Monies, irregularity stands as a true visual language. While these pieces retain their function as lighting fixtures, they take on a mysterious dimension, resembling fragments of a forest, small shelters, or intriguing domestic creatures.
The strength of this concept lies in its duality. We are faced here with a sculptural work as much as a light fixture. These stocky forms, anchored to the ground, embody a radical vision: that of an object capable of illuminating a space while infusing it with a subtle air of mystery.
The Fungal Aesthetic as a Field of Experimentation
This approach, part of Other Circle’s multidisciplinary platform, builds on a practice already well-established by the Danish designer. Far from limiting himself to lighting, Karl Monies explores ceramics, furniture, painting, and even jewelry with equal ease. In Copenhagen, the mushroom motif has emerged as a central obsession. This fascination will soon be featured in the Bonum Lumen series, developed for the Macro exhibition scheduled at Etage Projects in 2024.
This upcoming retrospective will explore the psychotropic properties and bioluminescence of mushrooms, offering an enriching perspective on his recent work. Light is no longer conceived merely for its visual utility; it evokes awakening, an awareness of the living world, and a celebration of slowness. While the craftsmanship remains resolutely artisanal, the imagination on display far transcends the strict confines of the studio.
The Art of Subverting Tradition
The designer regularly takes on classic forms—vases, bottles, urns, or lamps—to subtly reinterpret them and strip them of their original purpose. His ceramics, which sometimes combine stoneware, cork, and rope, draw on references ranging from modernist objects to traditional sake bottles. However, Karl Monies never cites tradition literally: he twists and reinvents it to forge a wholly original formal vocabulary.
This principle was already evident in *Arcana*, his first solo exhibition at Etage Projects in 2019, which was deeply imbued with symbolism and esoteric rituals. It was as if the utilitarian object could be transformed into a vessel for meditation or belief. In his work, the vessel is never empty; it carries the memory of forms, an imprint that time refuses to erase.
The Discreet Charm of a Gentle Strangeness
In a contemporary design landscape often obsessed with the perfection of lines, Karl Monies embraces imperfection. His work reminds us that craftsmanship is not a rigid tradition, but a living, ever-evolving art form. The lamps unveiled in Copenhagen embody this philosophy: they draw inspiration from the forest, ancestral craftsmanship, and folklore, coming together without ever seeking total rationality.
Their power lies precisely in this tension. They remain sufficiently domestic to find their place in an interior, while retaining a rebellious aura that leaves a lasting impression. At a time when design sometimes tends to fade into the background or smooth out its rough edges, Karl Monies proves that an object can still surprise, come alive, and exude a bit of that magic that makes all the difference.