Drop by drop

2021
Painted stainless steel and LED lights
100 x 100 x 240 cm

Drop by Drop is a new collaborative artwork by Gaïa Fodoulian and Nathaniel Rackowe. It combines forms and concepts from two of Fodoulian’s unrealized design pieces and marries them with Rackowe’s approach to light and structure. As a point of departure, Rackowe first looked to Fodoulian’s elegant, modular stacking storage system with parallel steel bars bent into a cube. He further deconstructed its form, in keeping with the original concept of the design. Rackowe also drew influence from a sink designed by Fodoulian titled Gocciagoccia which resembles a cross-section of a stalactite, inspired by Lebanon’s famous Jeita Grotto, demonstrating the pride she felt in her country. The steel beams in Drop by Drop – variously hanging down and reachingup, crafted by steelmaker Kamil Mrad – echo the forms of stalactites and stalagmites. The fractured lines of the artwork mirror the ruins of Deir El Kalaa, its broken columns, and disintegrated architecture. The name of this piece – Drop by Drop – is the English translation of Fodoulian’s title Gocciagoccia; it also references Rackowe’s contribution to the design, adding drops of light at the tips of the steel beams in collaboration with lighting expert Roger Gemayel. The work is rooted in Lebanon’s past, both in its concept and as a tribute to Fodoulian’s life and work. By incorporating light, the caged form is opened up, pointing to a hopeful future.

$11,000.00

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About the Designer

Gaïa Fodoulian (b. 1991 – d. 2020) was a Lebanese designer and art gallerist. She completed her undergraduate studies in product design at Atlier Hermès, Geneva, Switzerland in 2013; and in 2015 graduated from Istituto Marangoni’s master’s program in Italian luxury products, Milan, Italy. Returning to her native Lebanon following her studies, Fodoulian collaborated with a Salzburg-based design firm on the upholstering and refurbishment of 1940s furniture, giving new life to forgotten objects. From 2017 to 2019, she was the gallery manager and assistant director of Letitia Gallery in Beirut, working closely on all aspects of the exhibition-making process, from communications and production to installation and exhibition design. In her own design practice, Fodoulian was a strong proponent of using fair trade products; she favored the making of unique pieces over editioned work, and was bold in her use and mixing of different materials in the objects she created. Her passion for design was fueled by the local and international designers she deeply admired, including Zaha Hadid, and Giulio Cappellini. She also liked the work of David/Nicolas, Karen Chekerdjian, and Philippe Stark. AD Leb was Fodoulian’s pilot project, which was violently interrupted following her death in the Beirut port explosion of August 4th. Today, her mother, Annie Vartivarian, is realizing her vision as a tribute to her daughter.

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