THE VENICE COLLECTION, A JOURNEY OF INSPIRATION

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VENICE, A POETIC MEMORY OF IRRATIONAL FLAMES

My first trip to Venice in 2023 marked a true turning point in my professional journey, but more broadly, in my quest for fulfillment. At that time, I had just realized that the architecture profession I had embarked upon did not meet my expectations. Seven years of study and effort had crumbled in a few months, upon encountering the realities of the field. I was disoriented, driven solely by the need to create.

Venice felt like therapy to me. Beyond the sublime architectural compositions it offers on every corner, I felt a sense of well-being I had never experienced anywhere else. Later, I understood why: it's a city where, no matter where you are, you can always set sail. This freedom, inscribed in its very geography, has undoubtedly given rise to many free spirits and, inevitably, inspired countless artists.

Milan Kundera wrote: “There is a very specific area in the brain that could be called poetic memory, which records what has charmed us, what has moved us, what gives our lives their beauty.” Venice profoundly marked my poetic memory, to the point of inspiring the creation of SILO , CENO, and GAO , my first three light fixtures, conceived as tributes to this city. Their forms recall the grace of its architecture, their veils—a blend of fabric and blown glass—celebrate the richness of its craftsmanship, while their pastel hues evoke its patinated facades, the secret of which only time knows.

This initial creative spark gave birth to Irrational Flames, a design studio whose mission is to reveal the passion within each artist. Building on this vision, I imagined a poetic universe, The Invisible Continent , where everyone can find their way by wandering the streets of imaginary cities, which bear striking resemblances to certain aspects of our own personalities. Each lamp invites you to embark on a journey to one of these cities .

I am well aware that this entire city is nothing but a frozen backdrop, a motionless stage. But perhaps it is precisely in this type of place where time has stopped that the imagination strives to reconstruct scenes of life and, why not, our own history.

- Romain Gratiot
Architect, designer and founder of Irrational Flames

Discover the VENICE collection → ALL LAMPS

Discover the history of the Irrational Flames studio  → READ THE NEWSPAPER PAGE