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Collection by Olivia Martin

Behind the Scenes: Making a Bocci 19 Series

In Dwell’s September issue, Omer Arbel, the creative director of Canadian design company Bocci, invited us into his home and took us on a tour of the foundry where the Bocci 19 series is made, see some behind-the-scene moments from the photo shoot here!

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For our In the Modern World section, we shared a process shot of a Bocci 19 series. Here is a finished product of a Bocci 19 series bowl. Photo by Gwenael Lewis.
For our In the Modern World section, we shared a process shot of a Bocci 19 series. Here is a finished product of a Bocci 19 series bowl. Photo by Gwenael Lewis.
The Bocci 19 series is made with a sandcasting technique, which Arbel favors because it creates a unique product each time. “Our jobs as designers now is to build systems with enough looseness in them so that they result in different pieces” he explains. Here, Arbel checks the mold before the molten metal is brought in.
The Bocci 19 series is made with a sandcasting technique, which Arbel favors because it creates a unique product each time. “Our jobs as designers now is to build systems with enough looseness in them so that they result in different pieces” he explains. Here, Arbel checks the mold before the molten metal is brought in.
When the copper-brass alloy is poured over the mold, the shape of the overspill is different each time.
When the copper-brass alloy is poured over the mold, the shape of the overspill is different each time.
The result is a “frozen lava texture, which contrasts with the inside of the bowl that we polish to an almost mirror finish,” says Arbel. “This is the first series of objects that has very little function. Mostly they exist for some sort of emotional response.”
The result is a “frozen lava texture, which contrasts with the inside of the bowl that we polish to an almost mirror finish,” says Arbel. “This is the first series of objects that has very little function. Mostly they exist for some sort of emotional response.”
We also toured inside Arbel’s home along the Vancouver cliffs. Pick up our September issue, on newsstands August 5. to see his home filled with collectibles, animals, and Bocci prototypes.
We also toured inside Arbel’s home along the Vancouver cliffs. Pick up our September issue, on newsstands August 5. to see his home filled with collectibles, animals, and Bocci prototypes.
A shot of the stunning view from Arbel’s backyard.
A shot of the stunning view from Arbel’s backyard.