Precious moments to be lived

Precious moments to be lived

Assima Mall in the heart of Kuwait City shows everyone that there is beauty in every moment spent in good company, like a precious pearl hiding in an oyster. LASVIT was commissioned to bring a flash of glass and light into the newly-opened mall’s chic interior

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The Kuwaiti art of pearl diving

The installation Assima Pearls remembers the great history of Kuwait when it was famous for pearl diving and natural pearl production. The sculpture was inspired by the form of the net used for hunting pearls.

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Assima Mall

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Feel the sea

Water has always been an essential element throughout the Arabic world, and all the important buildings were built nearby, providing nourishment as well as the benefit of a beautiful view. Assima Pearls bring the sensation of a sea view into the shopping mall’s interior, offering a moment of precious refreshment to every guest.

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A tribute to Kuwaiti traditions

Assima Pearls draw on the rich history of Kuwait City and its long tradition of commercial pearl-diving. The piece was designed by Czech designer Kateřina Handlová, who says that “the story behind the sculpture follows the historical tradition of pearl diving and pearl production which Kuwait has always been famous for.

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Treasures from the deep

The net represents the baskets into which the pearls were collected during the dive, and the components in the net stand for the pearls themselves, the movement of fish, and the flow of life-giving water. LASVIT used nine types of bubbles representing water in the various shades of the sea, two sizes of pearls, one component symbolizing fish, as well as the beads used for the net itself.

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A decorative net, or a giant screen? Both!

The sculpture includes thousands of dynamically-lit glass components that can change color and impress visitors by lighting up different scenes in full RGBW spectrum. Since all the elements together form a kind of regular raster and each component is managed as one graphic pixel, any dynamic motif can be projected on the net.

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Look up!

The beauty of Assima Pearls rains down from the mall’s ceiling from a height of 33 meters, making it a landmark of the space, a selfie point, and a point of orientation for Assima Mall visitors. True beauty has the power to lift everyone, if you just know where to look.

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Kateřina Handlová

I find beauty in precise craftsmanship, in perfect details, and in the glass-making  tradition. I am also inspired by Asian cultures, the world of haute couture, film, and science. I love glass for its unique character which brings with it numerous problems, but also a number of advantages and unique possibilities. But mostly I love it for its singular beauty, not present in any other material.