Designing scenography is a very different exercise than building a house, office, or hotel, or even designing an object which is meant to last “forever.” He works to achieve the timeless, and exhibitions in their very nature are time bound, but the challenge of building lasting memories from temporary spaces was exciting to him. Being invited by Hullebusch (a well-known brand in Belgium and abroad renowned for their specialization in natural stone) to design their exhibition at the Biennale Interieur 2018 was a surprise, since they were not our principal or usual supplier. 

Nicolas Schuybroek wanted to create a secluded, contemplative building, separated from the rest of the exhibition hall and allowing direct contact with the stone. So the designer came up with the idea of creating a rectangular box with a small opening that could be filled with light. Upon entering this space, people enter a completely different mental state, in which they lose all sense of time. Gravel is used on the floor of the circular space to slow the pace and create an environment where people have to sit and enjoy the silence, a respite from the noisy galleries outside. The studio created a circular, otherwise quiet space to pay tribute to two other artists who had had a profound impact on their practice: James Turrell and Constantin Brâncuși.