PALAIS DES GLACES — LAMBERT & FILS NYC SHOWROOM

Type: Art Installation
Location: New York, NY
Year: 2021

To celebrate the opening of its Tribeca showroom, Lambert & Fils have created bespoke candles using recently developed extrusions; filling the space with ambiance and warmth. This artisanal process of molding and melting candles, in juxtaposition with Atelier Zébulon Perron’s use of mirrors and extruded metal structures creates surprise and enchantment. The installation returns to the source: after all, candlelight is the original lamp. With candles and mirrored structures creating optical illusions reminiscent of a carnival House of Mirrors, Palais des Glaces invites visitors to relinquish control in order to see themselves in a new light. This mimics the relationship between the mirror and the flame; through the reflections, both multiply.

By taking inspiration from the ubiquitous scaffolding scattered throughout the streets of New York, Atelier Zébulon Perron acknowledges the city as it creates an “architecture within architecture” that breaks through the boundaries of the showroom. The shape of the structure references the absolute order and symmetry of Veneto’s Palladian Villas and acts to conceal mirrors as objects; expanding the perceived space. People can catch a furtive glimpse of each other as they discover the installation. “The idea is to alter spatial perceptions. We work by creating a universe within this perceived space. We create a language through reflection, testing the threshold through the symmetry of mirrors. It’s all a bit voyeuristic,” says Zébulon Perron.

Photos @ Arseni Khamzin