Mounir Ayache at the Holding Textile Hermès in 2024

The second artist invited by Emmanuelle Luciani, Mounir Ayache was able to explore the skills that surround work with silk at the Holding Textile Hermès. Born in Bordeaux (France) in 1991 and a graduate of the Beaux-Arts de Paris, the Franco-Moroccan artist quickly appropriated silk printing techniques at the Ateliers AS in Pierre-Bénite (Rhône). Fascinated by technology and committed to an approach that blends references to the Arab world with science fiction, he imagined a textile landscape of rolling dunes whose motifs are only visible under black light, thanks to the application of UV ink on a long strip of silk. This was a first for Ateliers AS, who adapted their expertise with flat frame printing, a technique known as ‘à la lyonnaise’, in order to print in light rather than colour. A seamstress then worked with Mounir Ayache to assemble the fabric, which was given relief and volume by a brass structure. In total, the artist produced six silk dunes in two editions, each with a beige weave reminiscent of the classic Moroccan zellige pattern. When illuminated, they reveal a far more complex phosphorescent interlacing that allows the piece’s title, Silken Sarab, to take on its full meaning, ‘silk mirage’. This modular piece was on display in Paris at the Jeu de Paume as part of the group exhibition “Paysages mouvants”, from 7 February to 23 March 2025, and then in an ad hoc installation at the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon from 19 April to 11 May.

Jacopo Pagin at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis in 2025

Jacopo Pagin also completed a residency in 2025, staying at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis (Moselle). Born in Vicenza (Italy) in 1988 and a graduate of the Venice Academy of Fine Arts and the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels, Jacopo Pagin works principally as a painter, notably depicting crystalware. During his residency, he engaged closely with crystal – a material that has long inspired him – producing a series of anthropomorphic vases. Blending surrealist motifs, art deco forms and new wave influences, his compositions are as dreamlike as they are mysterious. Discovering the skills used in the production of crystalware allowed him to undertake a new step in his practice, moving from painting to sculpture and from fantastical visions to tangible forms. Proudly situating himself within a decorative tradition, he explored different skills alongside the craftspeople of the Cristallerie. This collaboration enabled him to develop highly specific forms, which he then finished using techniques such as acid-etching in order to transpose his ornamental motifs onto the crystal surfaces.

A joint edition is co-published by Loose Joints and the Fondation d'entreprise Hermès, reflecting upon all the residencies of the cycle.