Expository Commissioner Valentina Ciuffi together with the Seeds Gallery asked François Dumas to conceive several pieces of furniture for one of the gallery’s seasonal exhibitions. As per usual, Dumas likes to start from one material and work around it. Aluminium is an easy, light and playful material to work with. Unlike other metals like steel or iron, it can be processed using ordinary carpentry tools and allows for a more artisanal production. Dumas decided to assemble together profiles of aluminium to create furniture and objects. Aluminum presented the challenge of being difficult to bend, even more when it came to tubular shapes and when they are squared as opposed to rounded. Special tools and techniques are usually required to prevent the aluminium from cracking or warping. Nevertheless, Dumas developed a technique that allowed him to create curves in the aluminium profiles in a simple manner, without advanced tooling, by making incisions in the three sides of the four that make up a profile. As material is extracted by a single saw cut, the gap grants the profile to be bent by a few degrees. The repetition of incisions is the base principle for the construction of the pieces. It permits complex and complete curves while creating an organic, decorative motif, intrinsic to the structures that form the furniture. Structures like frames draw the contour of the furniture which is then complemented with wood surfaces or mirrors in order to create functional pieces. The plywood pieces integrated in these frames are covered by a decorative ALPI veneer wood which creates a harmonious balance between the subtle frame and elegant finishes. The collection is composed of: a console, a table, a stool, shelves, trays, an island of stands of different levels, suspended lights and mirrors.
