Laurids Gallée’s collaboration with COLLECTIONAL resulted in a series of objects that are difficult to pigeonhole. Cairn was not simply a collection of lamps or accessories or a set of decorations – it was a story about light, matter and how one can transform the other. Gallée, known for his penchant for experimentation and unobvious forms, here treated light as a material and the highly plastic polymer as a pretext for playing with perception.
Among other things, the collection consisted of light sculptures inspired by the tradition of stacking stones in cairns – these symbolic piles, familiar from ancient cultures, became the starting point for creating objects that bring prehistory into the 21st century. Gallée translated their archetypal form into the language of contemporary design: vertical, organic volumes combined smooth, polished surfaces with translucent layers of resin that, when exposed to light, created subtle distortions and shimmering tonal transitions. Just by passing by, the composition changed like a kaleidoscope – once more static, once almost fluid.
It was this variability that was at the heart of the Cairn collection. Gallée has been working at the intersection of craftsmanship and experimentation for years, and his studio in Rotterdam is renowned for its hand-carved wood and resin pieces that combine traditional techniques with modern manufacturing processes. His work grows out of curiosity – the same curiosity that led him from anthropology to Design Academy Eindhoven to collaborations with brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci. This path is evident in Cairn: from his fascination with folklore, to his love of material, to his boldness in building forms that balance sculpture and utility.
The objects in the collection were not imposing in function. Rather, they were an invitation – to look, to circulate around, to discover how light can change the character of a solid. Each piece had something of the ritual about it: a repetition of form, a focus on detail, a sense of proportion. And at the same time, these were contemporary works, aware of their materiality and how they affect the senses.
The collection was first shown in Rotterdam, during the Design Biennale, in the Groot Handelsgebouw space. The exhibition ran from 19 February to 2 March 2024 and was an opportunity to see these luminous sculptures at full scale and dynamic. However, Cairn lives primarily outside the context of the event – as a series of objects that do not so much illuminate a space as redefine it.
Laurids Gallée, born in 1988 and based in Rotterdam, creates unique objects that prioritise material expression and artistic narrative over mere functionality. His creative process is characterised by a sense of playfulness and daring to explore unexpected forms and manipulate materials. After briefly studying anthropology, he graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2015 and then gained experience as a craftsman in art and design production before setting up his own studio in Rotterdam in 2017. Gallée’s work combines traditional and folkloric elements with modern materiality and advanced production techniques; the studio focuses on wood and resin, and each piece is carefully carved. His work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries and institutions and at international design fairs.
source: lauridsgallee.com, thecollectional.com
photos: Studio Laurids Gallée
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