The place where live forces and complementary talents collide, all firms maintain a fragile balancing act. The longevity of Revol may be exceptional but it’s the result not of a miracle but of continual building work – that of passionate daily commitment and productivity on the solid foundations of shared memories. The result is an extraordinary firm. To celebrate its 250th birthday, Revol asked artist Mathias Souverbie to express this experience through means of an eloquent sculpture.
With its sturdy trunk made up of carefully interlocked layers of black paste, the artist’s tree represents the generations of workers who have contributed to the success of Revol, forming its roots reaching deep into the native soil. A mobile made up of metal branches and leaves in translucent porcelain sits atop the base, symbolising the firm’s current vibrant eco-system. Each leaf contributes to the balance of a harmonious whole that seems to defy the laws of gravity as well as those of passing time.
If the idea of equilibrium was important to the artist in conceiving the project and in its aesthetics, its creation also bears witness to a perfect balancing act. Enter Philippe Peres, Director of Research and Development at Revol, whose exchanges with Mathias Souverbie were as fluid as they were productive. A former modeller, the artist had no trouble in mastering the raw material to pay it the homage it deserved. Meanwhile, Revol’s expert made sure the original conception was fully respected.
After a year of trials, of successes, of modifications, of refining and of comings and goings between the creator and the firm’s different departments – especially the modelling department overseen by Patrick Currat and Chloé Andreutti – the 1.8m-tall tree can lay claim to being a bridge between two worlds.
A seasoned team player, Philippe Peres is used to working with designers. HIs participation in a work of art, on the other hand, was a first. Besides respect for the sculptor’s creative talent, his contribution allowed him to highlight Revol’s exceptional craftsmanship and expertise. The translucent leaves, the mastery of the black paste and the plates inserted into the trunk constitute, beyond aesthetic considerations, a unique and eloquent demonstration of the workers’ daily contribution.