Money Box Squirrel
ABOUT THE PRODUCT
design: Maxim Velčovský, 2005
material: porcelain
A situation frozen in porcelain and the design of a story at the same time. The point of realization is a minimalist post-production gesture (cutting a hole for coins), which in a simple DIY way turns a decorative artifact into the applied sphere of design. It thus becomes a literal symbol of an investment in art, mockingly linked to an incentive to iconoclasm, since the value of this strange purse is twofold, hidden in both form and content. Each owner is thus confronted with the same Sophie's choice, namely to suppress one of the functions of the object. A sentimental historical layer is also present. Sometimes the prefigures of the caskets are exotic sculptures of animals that became synonymous with the decorative luxury of working-class society, even though through their origins they absurdly referred to the "hated aristocratic class". A symbol of feudalism that survived on the socialist wardrobe.
ABOUT DESIGNER
Maxim Velčovský (1976) is one of the most outstanding contemporary Czech designers. His work also resonates in an international context. He graduated from UMPRUM in Prague, where he currently heads the Ceramics and Porcelain Studio. In 2002, together with Jakub Berdych Karpelis, he founded the Qubus studio, which has played a significant role in popularising design to the public in the Czech environment. He is the initiator of the "new wave" of Czech design. His work is represented in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Neue Sammlung in Munich and the Design Museum in Lausanne. He is currently the art-director of Lasvit.
ABOUT THE BRAND
The Qubus brand was founded in 2002 by Jakub Berdych Karpelis together with Maxim Velčovský and in the same year they opened the eponymous brick-and-mortar design shop in Prague's Old Town as the first ever design shop in the Czech Republic. The main idea and motivation of Qubus is to design, produce and present Czech contemporary and conceptual design with wit and unconventionality. A number of now iconic design products, collections and works have been created under the Qubus brand and the Qubus brand, the first on the market at the time, has become one of the most popular design studios in the Czech Republic in its 20 years of operation. Qubus products are characterized by their humour and search for new meanings and contexts.
Qubus designers most often work with traditional Czech materials - glass or porcelain, and their hallmark is a humorous play with morphology and function. Central European sarcasm meets commentary on the world around us in Qubus products. They respond to lifestyles, mirror prejudices and reflect cultural and social themes and trends.
Among the products in the Qubus portfolio, we find luxury and everyday pieces that shape taste and push its boundaries. In addition to conceptual and product design, the studio also executes interior design, architecture and free art projects by Jakub Berdych Karpelis and other artists it invites to collaborate.
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