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Design

Take a closer look and appreciate the passing of time

Renaud Defrancesco crafts Maîtres du Temps – a series of stunning asymmetrical hourglasses that dilute time with each manipulation.

Skillfully experimenting with materials, Lausanne-based Renaud Defrancesco brilliantly crafts ‘Maîtres du Temps’ – a series of stunning asymmetrical hourglasses hand-blown in a workshop in Switzerland, that dilute time with each manipulation. 

Innovatively integrating conscious design, Defrancesco’s extraordinary work seamlessly lies at the intersection of craftsmanship and technological innovation.

“In a society where time is more and more precise and omnipresent, we forget to take time for contemplation. 

Overwhelmed by objects – we no longer take the time to appreciate them. 

Like silhouettes dressed in glass, the Maîtres du Temps (“Masters of Time” in French) question us on the perception of the passing of time and the value we give it” says Defrancesco.

Maîtres du Temps by Renaud Defrancesco
© Renaud Defrancesco

Grouped in tribe or solo – these alluring minimalistic products will let a unique temporal measurement flow, by turning them over, while revealing a function hidden in the dress of their walls. 

“This development was a collaboration with the glassmakers to test the limits of their know-how and it was extremely interesting to be able to analyze and understand how far we could go in thicknesses and shapes to create surprising glass beads flows” Defrancesco adds. 

The moving beads effortlessly captivate the eye and hypnotize it, encouraging one to observe and appreciate the object that is revealed in a vase or a cup – a space sometimes empty, sometimes full, depending on the choice.

The creation of an optical effect challenges one by the content of the small container which flows into a larger one and gives the illusion of filling it completely.

Thanks to its walls – the sliding of balls in the beautifully eclectic hourglasses leads to a fascinating and relaxing sound.

© Renaud Defrancesco
Maîtres du Temps by Renaud Defrancesco
© Renaud Defrancesco

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