OBJ-10 Cabinet

Year:

2024

Commissioned by COLLECTIONAL

For the exhibition Unearthing: The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork

By Manu Bañó

The OBJ-10 Cabinet by Manu Bañó, presented as part of Unearthing: The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork at Gallery COLLECTIONAL in Dubai, is a commissioned piece that exemplifies the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design.

Created in collaboration with Mexican artisans from regions such as Michoacán and Santa Clara del Cobre, this work captures the essence of copper as both a raw material and a vessel of cultural expression, perfectly echoing the exhibition’s theme of honoring Mexico’s metalworking heritage.

OBJ-10 is a monolithic copper cabinet with two symmetrical doors, each hammered at the center to form a slit-like opening that doubles as a handle.

Its exterior retains the raw, fire-marked finish of hand-worked copper, holding onto the story of its making, while the interior reveals a mirror-polished surface, pure, reflective, and refined. This stark contrast embodies the duality central to Bañó’s practice: precision versus spontaneity, control versus chance, rawness versus refinement.

Inspired by the ancient tradition of stacking stones as meaningful markers, Cairn reimagines this concept through six to seven sculptural lights. Each piece is a study of materiality, combining polished surfaces with translucent layers that interact with light to produce optical distortions. As viewers move through the space, they experience a dynamic interplay of movement and stillness, where light transforms the organic forms into ever-shifting compositions.

The piece embraces imperfection as an integral part of its transformation. Every texture and trace left by the artisan’s hand is preserved, reinforcing the narrative that craft is not only technique, but time, process, and memory.

This series of six pieces reflects Gallée’s pursuit of balance, solidity and weightlessness, reality and illusion, function and statement, while embracing the meticulous craftsmanship often reserved for smaller ornamental objects. The collaboration provided a platform for expanding Gallée’s exploration of scale and ritual through collectible design.

Within the context of Unearthing, OBJ-10 stands as a contemporary artifact, bridging centuries-old traditions with a vision for collectible design that is sculptural, functional, and deeply symbolic.

Cairn captures a sense of ritual and presence, inviting the viewer into a deeper connection with each piece.