Gestures of intent
Twelve gestures, one intention
Astre Mobile was born out of the belief that a work of art only truly comes to life when an idea meets the gesture.
Every craft intervention was conceived from Antoine Tauvel's very first sketches. Nothing has been added to enrich or decorate the work. Every material, every piece of know-how and every detail responds to a precise intention and contributes to a shared narrative.
Featherwork, embroidery, porcelain, heliogravure, urushi lacquer, lapidary, cabinet-making or trompe-l'œil are never presented as a demonstration of virtuosity. They become a language in the service of an artistic vision.
Artisan craftspeople don't simply make components for Astre Mobile. They give tangible form to ideas that could not have existed otherwise.
A work constructed gesture by gesture
Every component of Astre Mobile tells a story.
- The speedometer becomes a poetic instrument of space-time thanks to feather marquetry by Maison Vermeulen.
- The shell-embroidered upholstery evokes the imaginary landscapes of the French shores.
- The porcelain gear lever transforms a mechanical action into a sensory experience.
- The heating housing plate becomes a cosmic print inspired by a meteorite billions of years old.
- The driftwood steering wheel reveals the beauty of shapes sculpted by time.
- The urushi lacquered key becomes a true sculptural talisman.
- The leather straps from Russia evoke memories of a material that had disappeared before being rediscovered.
- The onyx hubcaps bring the stone into the design.
- The trompe-l’œil hubcaps deliberately blurs the line between reality and its illusion.
- Finally, the metal-embroidered emblem transforms an automotive emblem into a piece of textile art that can be worn like a piece of jewellery.
The same intention
Whilst there are many different techniques, the intention remains the same.
Each intervention seeks to transform a familiar object into an experience of wonder.
These different areas of expertise interact without ever competing with one another. Materials, light, texture, scent and even movement all contribute to a single narrative, in which every detail naturally finds its place.
This coherence is the result of an ongoing dialogue between Antoine Tauvel and the craftspeople, who are united by a shared commitment: to create a work that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Discover the ten artworks that make up Astre Mobile and the craftspeople who brought them to life.
- Feather marquetry speedometer — Maison Vermeulen
- The shell-embroidered upholstery
- Porcelain gear lever — Ateliers Arquié
- Heating housing — a photogravure by Fanny Boucher, gilded with gold leaf by Lise Richardot
- Driftwood steering wheel — Claude Prautois
- Urushi lacquered key — Alexandre Duboc
- Leather straps — Élise Blouet-Ménard
- White onyx hubcaps — Hervé Obligi
- White onyx trompe-l'œil hubcaps — Pierre-Yves Morel
- Metal-embroidered emblem — Marie Archambaud
Feather marquetery speedometer
Maison Vermeulen
Limoges porcelain gear lever
Ateliers Arquié
Shell-embroidered upholstery
Aurélie Lanoiselée
Leather straps
Elise Blouet
White onyx hubcaps
Hervé Obligi
Photographs above by Kevin Van Campenhout and detail photographs below by Edouard Elias
Urushi lacquered key
Alexandre Duboc
White onyx hubcaps in trompe-l'oeil
Pierre-Yves Morel
Gold-leaf-gilded photogravure
Fanny Boucher and Lise Richardot
Driftwood steering wheel
Claude Prautois
Metal-embroidered emblem
Marie Archambaud
Design and
Art direction
Antoine develops a practice at the crossroads of object, space and narrative.
In his projects, he first designs visual languages through drawings, formal research, models and sculptural prototypes. These initial stages structure a precise artistic direction, which is then extended through collaborations with master craftspeople.
His work explores the connections between matter, use, movement and perception.