Stone & Skills take inspiration from Vivaldi for unique installation at Masters of LXRY

Last week, Stone & Skills, the Dutch materials specialists presented a special installation at this year’s Masters of LXRY, held at the Rai Amsterdam, Netherlands, from 6-10 December 2018.
The showcase, produced in association with Michel Oprey & Beisterveld, was specifically designed to demonstrate the potential of Neolith, a market leading brand of Sintered Stone and took inspiration from renowned composer Vivaldi’s world-famous concerti, ‘The Four Seasons’.
All four sections of the stand embodied the spirit of spring, summer, autumn and winter, with each Neolith colour and pattern carefully selected to evoke the moods associated with each.
Visitors entered into a visual feast, with plenty of examples of Stone & Skills’ amazing abilities to fabricate the most detailed shapes using Neolith. A focal point was the tree decorated with intricately cut leaves, designed to emphasise the seasonal cycle, flowing into a cascade of autumn foliage created using colours from Neolith’s Iron collection.

Embracing the extravagance and grandeur of the Baroque, Stone & Skills also fabricated a set of musical instruments from Neolith, including an ornamental violin and piano, which playfully nodded to the golden age of classical music.
Backdrops of Neolith Calacatta Gold and Nero Marquina completed the stand, complementing the sculptures without distracting from them.
Significantly, the ‘Four Seasons’ stand highlighted the many ways in which Neolith can be cut and fabricated, not merely as a functional item, but also as a decorative, even artistic feature.

Commenting on the stand, Amal Babay of Stone & Skills says, “We had such fun coming up with the concept and working with Neolith in very different and unusual ways. ‘Four Seasons’ was the perfect theme for showcasing the material, which also embodies the elegance, refinement and expert craftsmanship found in Vivaldi’s work.
“Furthermore Neolith designs can be subtle and calming as they can be striking and dramatic, as found in the music. The versatility of the surface and its multiple applications have helped create an individual and exceptional stand which definitely wowed visitors to Masters of LXRY.”
Mar Esteve Cortes, Director at Neolith, adds, “When Stone & Skills came to us with their plans for the stand at Masters of LXRY, we were very excited by the concept. Following on from their imaginative ‘Show House’ in Hoofddorp, in which Neolith was used in a very creative and original way, we were fascinated by how they would apply the material for this installation. We were not disappointed.”

She continues, “Importantly, Stone & Skills were able to communicate how Neolith is much more than a material used for interior and exterior construction. It also has great aesthetic potential. We were incredibly impressed by the way they were able to produce complex and intricate shapes, forming eye-catching sculpture which really showcases the ornamental qualities of the surface.
“As we go into 2019, our tenth year in business, we will look to work more closely with artists to discover other inventive ways in which Neolith can be used.”
For more information on Neolith please visit: https://www.neolith.com/.
For more information on Stone & Skills please visit: https://stoneandskills.com/.
For a gallery of hi-res imagery from Masters of LXRY click here.
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