Ice of Genesis | Primordial Earth Encapsulated in an Engineered Surface

Interior Design & Decor

Published on: January 11th, 2021
5 minutes read

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Ice of Genesis | Primordial Earth Encapsulated in Engineered Surface

The Ice of Genesis. A name so mystical, it oozes power with every recitation. A power so immense, it brings forth a feeling of wonder, excitement and most notably: transformation.

Frankly speaking, I’ve never felt so inclined to embrace the innately copywritten rhetoric of a stellar sales team. The hype seemed far too “extra” for belief. Going through my mind as I read article after article of PR and marketing approved drivel, was that fact that this had better live up to the expectations it extolled. Then I saw it. In all its beauty. My personal rating? An 8/10. The material was pretty close to perfect and had some jene sais quoi about itself, but there were a few minor issues that kept it from truly being the countertop material of the decade.

Let’s journey into the wonderment of this passion project between a renowned artist and an esteemed engineered countertop material producer.

The Artiste & The Product Specialist

Arik Levy, the artist/collaborative designer boasts an enviable reputation of multidisciplinary talent. He also happens to be a photographer, video artist and a technician too. His notable artwork is in sculptures, such as “the Rock Pieces”.

Originally from Tel Aviv, he received his first big break in 1986 at a group sculpture exhibition in his hometown. Like any budding artist with hopes and dreams of living a life of wonder & excitement, he moved to Paris and opened up an art studio. Following that, he received a prestigious distinction at the Art Centre Europe, a branch of the esteemed Art Centre Pasadena LA.

Amongst his many achievements was his contribution to performing arts such as contemporary dance and opera. He designed the sets that emblazoned his love for art and industrial design.

His Modus Operandi is that of “feeling”.

The juxtaposition of gravity and mineral is very important. What I hope is that gravity will bring that stationary sort of sensation, and the mineral brings a certain kind of beautiful fragility. It looks like it’s made out of a block, but it isn’t made from a block, so it is a very unique piece in essence. We are able to match the veins, and their energy, and the way they look. And that isn’t solid; it’s made out of places, proving that we can compose nearly anything in volume and in a specific space. Arik Levy

The Surfaces Company: COMPAC

Having recently celebrated their 40th anniversary, the COMPAC the surfaces company wanted to mark the moment with a signature product that was authentically COMPAC.

Having built a sterling reputation for producing avant garde surfaces that simply mesmerized both luxury homeowners and chic interior designers alike, COMPAC was no stranger to the world of art and design.

In fact, COMPAC was an industry rebel for insisting all its products be ecologically friendly and sustainable in production long before it became the symbol of corporate enlightenment that it is today.

The Product

The name “Ice of Genesis” would trigger a deep feeling of nostalgia amongst those of an Abrahamic faith. The book of Genesis detailed the beginning of life and so it would seem Arik Levy wished to portray his take on the origin of nature and of matter by using science and technology to encapsulate the creationist narrative.

COMPACs vision was simple. They wanted a material that was flat and resistant but had depth, mimicking the feeling of walking on ice. They hoped to create an ethereal experience of balance between fragility and stability.

“ It is a mixture of different elements: nature, emotions, social codes and science. It’s this merger where we look for connection.”

Hence, taking liberal inspiration from the great ice lakes of the Arctic, the aim was to create a material that took the form of natural stone but looks translucent and transparent at the same time. They made a version in white for coolness, black for abstraction and earth brown for warmth.

Having said that, the most unique feature of Ice by Genesis was that Arik created the veins on a scale that was larger than life. His impression was that of zooming into cracked ice and enlarging the proportions of clean crack lines.

The Reception

You’d be interested to know that the critics love it. Its received rave reviews in the industry and is sparking talks of industry-wide artistic collaborations for revolutionary products of the future.

Even the Daily Mail has showered Levy with praises for his contribution to industrial design. Meanwhile, Interior Design, the publication that is the industrial authority on all things encompassing its name, nominated the Ice of Genesis as their “Product Of The Year 2017”. An accolade such as this, is the industries most coveted honour for breakthrough products and is reserved for truly iconic entries.

Image via Luxx Newhouse Group

Evidently, there is a lesson to be learned from finding the nuanced position between form and functionality. While the everyday reasonable man, grapples with functionality and price, a lover of the finer things in life can truly appreciate the obsessive, borderline paranoid mulling of the “artiste” to provide a blissful piece that can only be described in a single, loaded and profound expression: “Life Imitates Art”.

The Ice of Genesis was a marvellous attempt at recreating a biblical narrative of our planets conception, a moment perceived by many of faith as a time when the earth was a barren wasteland. A place desolate and dull. Yet, with the power of that which is divine, it had the potential to metamorphose into a thing of great beauty.

The Ice of Genesis. Truly magnificent. Distributed by Luxx Newhouse Group Singapore.

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