Jean-Baptiste Fastrez Reimagines Mirrors as Sculptural Objects for Moustache
French designer transforms inflatable boats and hardware into functional, narrative-driven mirror collections.
1The Mirror as Heterotopia
Referencing Michel Foucault, the mirror is defined as a placeless place that exerts a counteraction on its viewer. Unlike other household objects, it reflects the room back to the observer. Jean-Baptiste Fastrez explores this duality, treating the mirror as a unique intersection between sculpture and functional design for over ten years.
2Zodiac: The Fake Ready-Made
The Zodiac mirror mimics the form of an inflatable boat, using high-gloss ceramic to replicate the appearance of an inflated tube. Fastrez intended to create a narrative where the boat appears to hang on a wall. This collision between disparate objects creates an open-ended, mysterious story that challenges the viewer's perception of utility.
3Sphera: Elevating Minimal Hardware
Inspired by Carlo Mollino’s apartment in Turin, the Sphera collection reinterprets common twentieth-century mirror fittings. Fastrez transformed these small, functional chrome clips into oversized, spherical elements. By scaling up these universal components, he turned a hidden architectural necessity into the primary aesthetic feature, giving the object a bold and sculptural presence.
4Glass as Structural Element
Fastrez reverses the traditional role of glass, using it as a structural component rather than just a surface. In the Zodiac design, the reflection completes the ceramic frame, making the mirror essential to the object's construction. Similarly, Sphera relies on the rigidity of the glass sheet to hold the entire chrome system together.
5Redefining Functionalism
Fastrez challenges the restrictive definition of function, arguing that a mirror serves to decorate and provide character to an interior. He posits that ornamental value can be as significant as the reflective function itself. By integrating decoration into the construction, he creates objects that are functionalist in their own unique, ornamental way.
6Ornament as Core Logic
The designer actively pursues ornament when it is not merely added to an object but becomes part of its internal logic. In both Zodiac and Sphera, the decorative elements hold the structures up. This approach transforms the object’s sculptural character into a direct result of the functional systems that produced it.
7Constraint-Driven Creativity
Fastrez finds the mirror’s minimal requirements stimulating, as it carries no weight and resists nothing. This lack of structural demand provides him with immense freedom to explore ideas. He treats the single geometric constraint of flatness as a paradox, allowing him to push the boundaries between traditional design and fine art sculpture.
8Impact on Modern Interiors
These designs by Fastrez for Moustache disrupt the everyday by turning onlookers into active participants in the space. By questioning how wonder is built, the collection returns a sense of mystery to domestic environments. The work successfully demonstrates how industrial history can be repurposed into sophisticated, narrative-heavy pieces for contemporary living.