about failure 10.02.2023



It takes years for designers to create something and put into their design into production. There are endless negotiations and compromises. Furniture and lighting will be discontinued if there are any kind of design or manufacture failure, market demand and supply mismatch, even company being acquired by another is in some sense being regard as a failure of monetary/ business operation, but in fact sometimes it is just the timing to change for a more sustainable future, e.g. Skagerak and Fritz Hansen. However, sometimes it is just a good and beautiful piece of work but the market is yet to accept or to adapt themselves with the creation. There are furniture that could only be put into production after the designer was dead, which the initial draft or protocol was the only clue. Due to all sort of availability and constraint, it was such a shame that certain designs were not able to be visualised or put into production.



When result does not come as expected, some will regard it as a disaster or a failure. But I found it as some sort of direction to go for improvement and so as to carry on. Like, 7.2. The idea came with forming a bowl from cutting a circle with 6mm float glass sheet, while the remaining material around the circle are generally being regard as waste that staying on the shelf of the basement forever. What if I can do something with them or at least make use of the entire piece of sheet? In which, this is the beginning of 7,  the experimental and entire cycle of a piece of float glass sheet that commonly use in creation as a prototype instead of the ultimate piece due to its materiality nature. 

I always doubt about the definition of “failure” as if it is just a level or a form of material that matter itself may become and I just accidentally reveal the vitality within it. 

Or the word “epiphany”/ “divine moment” in the book of Omer Arbel.

In which, clear float glass is showing everything within with its transparency, including its cross-section, the form and so as any flaws like dust or particles that stay there in the kiln and being picked up during the forming process. I have been thinking about what if it goes exactly what i want at the first place, what will be next and what can I manipulate to go for a different results? Should it be about the methodology like fusing and slumping or pate de verre that I always want to give it a try? What about trying levels of temperature in kiln forming, adding varieties in grinding process, or another way to locate them into the plaster bed? “Failure” that people generally defined may be kind of valuable to somebody else, which may be the opportunity and even direct them to certain other possibility that they have never imagined.

Although I see “it” as a continuum, it has never been easy or comfortable to do so. I described it as a labour work to my friend in the studio and started calculating the quantified attempts in the process. It comes to over 2 hours of drilling circles, grinding them at the same time soaking hands into cold water in another 2 hours, hours of design and preparation about what to do with them and so as the tensioned wait while the piece is assembling herself in the kiln. There is a string that getting tight to drag me moving and which is also the motivation of not just sitting or procrastinating and reading philosophical books without trying to linking back to what I am doing in my practice. Practical and philosophical things go as the two sides of one sword, while I always tell myself and so as to the others 

“it is fine, it will be alright, it is okay”

after mumbling to myself about what gone “wrong” or not as expected.

Preparing for kiln formation, sandblasting and cutting glasses have been sharp and hard work, yet it is what I am trying to do and posing myself into a flow of experiment, so as to sort out the ways and focus of my yet to be developed glass maker/ artist journey. 

Taking the team Omer Arbel Office saying in their 113 material experiment took place in Victoria and Albert Museum last year as the end of this journal, fail as fast as possible and be an explorer, not just a glassblower.

The House of Xavier Corbero

One of the research courses brought me back to my unfinished draft about The House of Xavier Corbero, in terms of the multidisciplinary sculptural, architectural and philosophical ground.

The House of Xavier Corbero, a residence apartment specially for artists. Some have their tendency at six month, and some do six years. The architect and sculptor - Xavier Corbero believe that the words come from mouth are subconscious and invisible limitations of potentials. Instead of speaking and chatting about art all the time, there are much more important things in life, like the weather, food, health condition and sleeping quality. If you’re struggling and getting lost in your way, finding somewhere to completely focus on yourself and your work, House of Xavier Corbero may be one of the best artist residence that you could ever come with.

The House of Xavier Corbero nestles in the suburb of Esplugues de Llobregat in Barcelona, which was the ancient address of underground cave during Roman Empire. Xavier Corbero was the most well- known Catalan architect and artist after Antoni Gaudi I Cornet. The traditional art and language of Catanlan was once being abandoned in the 18th century and being disappeared as a political entity. Fortunately, the social reality was able to be recovered in its renaissance era over the 19th century due to emerging interest from the Bourgeoisie. There was a child who wore red socks and survived in bomb shelter from war fire, who spent the rest of his life in collating aesthetic, ethic and divine as the ensenazas; the surreal maze with over 38750 square feet, 9 interconnecting building with niche and hidden corner, over 300 archways that connects 12 gardens, as well as studio, living room, 10 bedrooms and bathrooms.

Corbero revealed that he preferred to stay at the basement, that the residents are finding themselves not the owner of the house that they are paying for. Most of the people meet during dinner, they talk about everything but art. He believe that art is not to be explained or discussed, he don’t see the necessity to talk to someone else for their own work. 

Life is all about growing up, to a certain level that we are able to be self-sufficient.

Before that, all they need is time and the self that they lost, and which they can all discover at the House of Xavier Corbero, as well as the willingness and kindness to help each other within the residence.

Gardenia scent fills along layered concrete archway in exterior structure. Ripple restore the surface of the pond with the regular bell from nearby church. Brutalised sculptures are having dialogues in the front garden. Pull the front door and close it up, walk up a few steps and go down again, there are hidden doors, moving walls and staircases to nowhere. Literally, there is no destination in eyesight, which also reminisced the work of surrealist Escher and his friend Salvador Dali.

The House of Xavier Corbero

There are no luxurious interior design or enormous scale, yet it is more about the unique and non- logical collections of designer furniture. To name a few, the curvy and playful Biedermeier style wooden furniture, Gaudi chairs, personal relics and memorabilia sculptures from Corbero.

Corbero revealed when you find your way, space is no longer bounded by materia, in which imagination is side your mind will be the desired space.

To some extend, it is a kind of Buddhism and Wabi Sabi that small and simple space inspires way more creativity and focused attention than that of a normal apartment with uncountable electromagnetic waves.

The hexagonal courtyard, The Tower is constructed with natural light, glass and arched concrete and surrounded with hanging plant, as well as his personal lifetime collections. When sunbeams direct to the bottom, the basement shines like a kaleidoscope.; which looks like the six surrounding circles of the symbol - flower of life and synchronise with his belief “life is the start of everything”. The lantern of the centre of infinite archways shows the way as a lighthouse of the ocean and the way of living. Looking from the basement to the top ceiling, it was somehow the same with the insect-shaped courtyard right before the exit of Casa Mila, the language of Barcelona artists.

There is is no boundary in architecture or sculpturing.

It is just the line that people drew according to civilisation and socialisation. To Corbero, one of the happiest things is the continuous dialogue between the human-like sculptures. There are numerous commercial foundations in the society, yet fresh graduates are still feeling lost.

More than a residence, studio, house or rental flat, the ensenazas is a space that born by the demand of wellness and mindfulness, a place that is compatible for every flaws, the space that allows sensory flow and self conversations without external disturbance. The ensenazas reminds me of the purity of Junya Ishigami, the random-like investigation through prototyping - KAIT workshop with the perplexing yet permeable column, as well as the seemingly opposite crystalline KAIT plaza.

Xavier Corbero completed his journey 7 years ago, the House remains a witness of potentials between architecture and art. 

The dream of futurism and surrealism; the nothingness in meditation; the labyrinth that hides Minotaur; the place that release everything and focus on oneself; In which, the door of exploring life always open.

Photo credit and reference to book Ryue Nishizawa: Dialogues; Carl Hansen & Son - A seamless visual coexistence with Corbero by Open House Magazine, More Than a House: A morning with Xavier Corbero by Open House Magazine, Spain’s Best Living Sculptor, Architect & Dreamer by Viki Psihoyos, book House of Xavier Corbero published by apartamento

presentation set up

exhibition set up