Arthur Hoffner Explores Universal Cycles

French designer Arthur Hoffner has an affinity with ironwork and a proclivity for the natural world. His most recent work is a collection of abstract interior fountains that are being exhibited until the end of September as a part of Design Parade at Villa Noailles, Hyères in the south of France.

In this collection, Hoffner draws upon the “primal relation between man and the waterfall” noting the mysterious nature of its endless cycle and relating it to the opulent fountains at Versailles and the mysterious water of Brocéliande; the enchanted medieval forest that featured in Arthurian tales. “We will here consider the interior fountain”, his statement about the project reads, “this domesticated parcel of nature, as an opportunity for wonder. We will reinvent this seemingly useless display amid a world subjected to utility.” Indeed, indoor fountains seem to don hotel lobbies, strange restaurants, and the occasional waiting room, with the sole purpose—aside from their obvious aesthetic value—of calming people. With clever construction, Hoffner’s indoor fountains become more than a receptacle for serene contemplation, he explains his designs as being a “mischievous opportunity for pleasure.” The pieces are playful; constructed out of multiple elements that, Hoffner explains, are part of an attempt to authentically incorporate the pieces into the domestic landscape.

All images © Arthur Hoffner,  Herman Van Doorn, Amir Farzad, Luc Bertrand and Pierre P Marchal