Raise the Moral Studio Invites You to Become Familiar With Perception

Cumulative. Slow. Sometimes banal but incredibly impactful. Rituals seamlessly integrated into our daily life – and more importantly the way we honor them – have the potential to significantly impact the human experience for better or worse. So as the world seems to embrace entropy, how can we affect change for the better and support this compounding effect that builds with the march of time? Raise the Moral Studio, helmed by interdisciplinary artists Moral Turgeman and Kelsey Falter, responds to that question with an answer echoing beyond its award-winning exhibition Becoming Familiar, which debuted at Design Miami/ 2023 just months ago. The creative duo fashioned an immersive experience full of furnishings that continue to inspire human reconnection with self, space, and time via sensorial engagement facilitated by functional design. Linework, form, color, and sound slow users down to prompt contemplation on present perceptions as each object is engaged.

The collection boasts a diverse material palette that showcases advanced production prowess complemented by hand finishing, which enables a great degree of customization for clients. Like a chord plucked from life’s habitual groove, all the artifacts represent a liminal moment – transmutation somehow frozen in time. Silver, white, and charcoal strike a balance, create a reflective ambiance, and articulate concepts. And specialized compositions by Joel Shearer, the famed artist whose works experiment with the somatic effects of vibration, are played in each of the pieces.

“To get to our outcome, it was all about iteration and leaning on the power of digital sculpting and sketching to move through development and concepts rapidly. Then, moving into the physical forms, we worked closely with multi-generational artisans and craftspeople to hand-engineer the way in which technology could be incorporated or complex, organic forms could be sculpted,” the studio shares. “Maintaining relationships with collaborators, fabricators, and vendors is the ultimate lesson that continues to teach itself repeatedly. Experimentation and designing within deadlines means pushing the limits of what we see as possible and ensuring that we have the relationships to support the type of hands-on iteration required to bring it all to life.”

A material steeped in tradition, the Pinnacle floor vase is sculpted from white Bianca Carrara marble for its ritualistic weight and presence. The piece is finished by hand to create balance with a soft sanded surface in contrast to its heaviness. And Throne is carved from dark charcoal Grigio Carnico marble. Solid and unwavering, it creates a contrasting visual element that serves as an anchor point in most spaces. Both share a tactile experience that invites the possibility of creating a habit around their use. The Apex candle chime – comprising a bowl and pins fixed to a tapering candle – is a device that serves as an analog means for measuring time. Forged from sterling silver, the precious metal becomes poetic, releasing a beautiful chime sound when the stick melts and causes a pin to drop.

Exemplary of their ethos is the Caterpillar parametric lounger. The ribbed seat is made from 80 individual pieces of wood, minimal cushioning, and custom silver metallic-coated wool upholstery. Together with its cascading form, it creates the illusion of tuning into the oscillating frequency of life. The vibrational experience is transmitted directly through contact points along the entire length of the body.

Sharing a material and visual language are the Reflector mirror, Orbit suspended planter, and Wing modular backrest, which may be paired with the Landing Pad ottoman. Each employs an off-white wool-cotton blend sheathing with charcoal stitching and wave-like hand embroidery. The line work symbolizes the oscillation and various wavelengths encompassing us, if only we would take the time to notice.

There is no singular way to experience the works, rather, it is about considering context and what compels our personal choice in that moment for a particular ritual. Becoming Familiar offers a kit of parts for a lifestyle by design and promises a bright future with additional art objects, like the Chrysalis lounger debuting in a group show at Maison Lune Gallery, custom implementations for private and commercial spaces, and the release of an app in correspondence with more accessible products.

“By connecting within and reminding ourselves to go inward – we allow ourselves to flourish and overflow so that we have something to share with others,” share the duo of their tenets. “Rituals that create an inner connection with the ultimate goal of doing so for the sake of others are special because they have an outcome bigger than oneself.”

To learn more about Raise the Moral Studio, visit raisethemoral.com.

Source: design-milk