geoffrey hillereau

Médici is a contemporary reinterpretation of the famous monumental marble vase from which it takes its name, in reference to the family that acquired it. Unearthed in Florence in the 15th century, this vase became one of the most emblematic symbols of the Renaissance. Since then, many artists created their own version of the Médici, combining modernity with an idealized vision of Antiquity.

I situate myself in this tradition by creating my own Médici, mobilizing the symbols, ornaments, and materials of my time. In place of hand-carved marble bas-reliefs depicting mythological scenes, my Médici is covered with steel spikes: it can only be touched by the eye. The distorted reflections of the viewer and their surroundings replace traditional mythological scenes and become the primary ornament.

The technical core of the piece is a thermolacquered stainless-steel structure. It is composed of sixteen laser-cut vertical profiles, assembled concentrically to form the skeleton of the vase—a ghostly silhouette of the original model.

Steel spikes punctuate the entire structure. They serve both as fixation points and as tensioning elements for sixty-four mirror-polished aluminum petals, which clad the skeleton and form its skin. Held curved and under tension by these spikes, the petals alternate with sixteen additional profiles made of fluorescent acrylic PMMA. These elements capture light, while the mirror aluminum reflects it back into the surrounding space.

This trio of materials—matte thermolacquered steel, mirror aluminum, and transparent PMMA—produces an optical effect in which light, reflection, and transparency respond to one another. Ornament here emerges directly from constructive logic, from technical assemblies left visible and deliberately emphasized. This is what I call engineered ornament.