SET DESIGN: MATTHEW MORRIS WRITERS: JONATHAN BELL, ELLIE STATHAKIhotographer Vincent Fournier’s new
monograph, Space Utopia, comes wrapped in
a 3D case that appears out of this world. Set
to touch down on coffee tables around the
world, this sculptural evocation of scientific
rigour and science fiction mystery was
inspired by the faceted walls of an anechoic
chamber, an ‘echo-free’ space that effectively
blots out sound and radio waves, creating
a pure and neutral environment for testing
equipment designed for the void of space.
Printed from 3D resin from a wireframe
developed from one of Fournier’s own
photographs, the sculptural monolith, limited
to just 150 copies, contains the book, which
lays bare the complexity, drama, scale and
banality of space. It’s the culmination ofSpace odyssey
We’re having a close encounter of the 3D
kind with a new art book by Vincent Fournier11 years of work, during which time Fournier
secured behind-the-scenes access to almost
every major centre for space flight design,
manufacturing, testing and launching. Space
is a long-held fascination, although the reality,
as Fournier quickly discovered, was just as
spectacular as the sci-fi visions he devoured
in his youth. To get these images, Fournier
found he could ‘play’ with the environments
and shape a narrative. ‘It’s a documentary
project, but it’s also very staged,’ he admits.
His photographs depict complex working
environments, so he had minimal time to set
up his shots but, even with these constraints,
Fournier has brought a theatrical twist to the
heroic visions of space exploration – the
cosmonaut standing before Soviet-era flockwallpaper, the empty spacesuits flopping
like lifeless dolls, or the 8km tangle of wires
that make up a rocket engine.
These are unexpected vignettes from
a noble human enterprise. And although the
sheer size of rocketry and communication
stations makes for impressive images, it’s
the otherworldly depiction of the Mars Desert
Research Station, the barren landscapes
used to mimic Martian conditions, that bring
home the scale of this ongoing endeavour.
‘I want to give a bigger picture of our
relationship to the universe,’ says Fournier.
Space Utopia in limited-edition Anechoic
Monolith box, €1,750, by Vincent Fournier,
for Noeve, noeve.com. To see some of the
book’s content, visit Wallpaper.com ∫P
BEST BAR NONE
THE AMBITIOUS SCHEME, AIMED
AT CREATING AN OPEN FOYER
AREA ON THE GROUND FLOOR,
WILL CONNECT THE EXISTING
MAIN AUDITORIUM TO THE NEW
LINBURY THEATRE BELOW. IT NOW
INCLUDES A CAFÉ, INTERVAL BARS,
CLOAKROOM FACILITIES, A SHOP
AND INFORMAL EVENT SPACES104 ∑