TRANSMUTATION 1

CHANDELIER, by THIERRY JEANNOT, Mexico 2011

MATERIALS: 100eds of recycled plastic PET bottles, aluminium, resin, 16 light bulbs SIZE: H 150 x D 125 cm / H 59 x D49.21 in EDITION (this piece): 2 of 2

Two-tier chandelier. Jeannot's chandeliers are constructed from hundreds of plastic bottles meticulously selected, cut and reassembled as an exceptional object. From afar they appear as a crystal chandelier, but the result of a closer look reveals another origin and shifts our preconceptions about the value of materials. The piece is a result of Jeannot’s over 20 year-long research into the PET material and its characters and origins within the trash system in Mexico City. His chandeliers are handcrafted over a period of a few months. The artist achieves a true transformation of those specimens of plastic into a luxury symbol, a classic Chandelier. They have a strong effect on the public eye in the sense of ‘what you see is not what you get’. Its an art-design piece about Illusion (there is a story of a lady in Washington who thought the chandelier was part of the old mansion where the artist's exhibition was - she screamed: “WOW....Why did I buy my VENINI?! Everyone can have a Venini!”).

His work indeed transfers waste into luxury. Thierry's work has additionally a social aspect. He incorporates disadvantaged people within Mexico City in teaching them to find the right type of bottles and rescue them from trash and in involving them in various aspects within the construction process. This work has changed many lives and given new hope. As such the pieces are stunning, sparkling light objects and a powerful testimony to life and beauty.