Paris-based designers Alexandra Batten and Daniel Kamp have developed a body of work with a strong, radical identity.
Batten and Kamp is a creative duo formed by Alexandra Batten and Daniel Kamp. The two designers were born in New Zealand and are now based in Paris. Their creations? Functional sculptures in collaboration with artisans from around the world, as well as experimental objects built with their own hands. Exhibited in New York, Shanghai, Paris, Tokyo, Brussels, Copenhagen and Hong Kong, their artworks are represented by world-renowned functional art galleries, including Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Galerie Philia and Objective Gallery.
Among their most singular creations is the “Sex Tape” coffee table. Made of low-iron laminated glass and stainless steel, its top holds a USB flash drive. Covered by sheets of glass, it contains nothing more than a video of the design duo making love.
“With Sex Tape, we ask our audience what they really want from us, and we ask ourselves what we really want to offer them. It’s about limits and temptation, vulnerability and the self-perpetuating commodification of our relationship,” they explain.
While lacking the sultry aura of “Sex Tape”, “Orbit Coffee table”, a sumptuous table in hand-finished stainless steel, demonstrates the duo’s mastery and talent, offering us a piece straight from another universe. The same goes for “Steel and Stone”, a singular collection featuring a seat, coffee tables and a lighting fixture in which a folded sheet of stainless steel and a granite stone are perfectly combined.
A contrast of textures and materials can be found in the Chrialith table or in this chaise longue made of transparent plastic and mineral. Opposition again, with the disturbing but equally fascinating “Comfort Seeker Seeker”, in which a famous Eames seat is perched on a disquieting four-legged robot. Batten and Kamp manage to shake us up while articulating craftsmanship and beauty.
