Philippe Starck with Virgin Conscience CD

Project by Michelle Van Eyssen:

"I selected the format ‘Christmas card’ by method of ‘drawing straws’. As a result of the anticipation, excitement and suspense of this method, I asked my peer Chris to select one archival object on my behalf. He presented me with the object titled Philippe Starck with Virgin Conscience CD, 1998.

I particularly drew inspiration from one of Philippe Starck's designs, which was the design concept ‘house in a box, 1994’. This was a humorous kit to build your own wooden house. This design sparked many creative ideas on how I can reformat the CD into an unconventional Christmas card, where the receiver will not only receive its well wishes but have the opportunity to build their own Christmas ornament.

For this project, I decided to communicate on behalf of the fashion house Balenciaga as a sort of collaboration between the brand and the artist. As the house is associated with its construction and sculptural forms and thus proved its relevance, the contents of my Christmas card include all the necessary elements to ‘build’ your own Christmas stocking with the pre-cut printed fabric that I manipulated from the contents of my object into a visual tile."