Connective Tension
Show 4
February 2026
At The Great Design Disaster, the future does not arrive fully as sembled. It comes in parts. It pivots. It hesitates. It arrives carrying stories of gravity, wire, and improbable optimism.The Hydra works by Nikhil Paul (Paul Matter) feel like relics from a tomorrow imagined decades ago, when the future was modu lar, articulated, and strangely elegant. A time when light was not hidden in ceilings but performed in space, extending arms like questions, searching for connection.
The five pieces presented: ceiling lamps, wall lamps, hybrid forms, and a floor lamp, refuse clear categories. They are not designed to belong to a single surface or function, but to exist between them. Rather than obeying established lighting types, each piece pro poses its own position, shaped by space, use, and circumstance.
Hydra is an organism. There is no clear beginning, no obvious end. Like light itself, it travels continuously, across ceiling, wall, and f loor, ignoring architectural boundaries with gentle confidence and a mild disregard for typology. Each articulated arm shifts the object’s trajectory in space, turning a fixed form into a responsive system. Slight movements generate entirely new compositions, proving that commitment is overrated and flexibility is everything.
Rather than reproducing a historical moment, the Hydra series draws from a time when technology was mechanical and expres sive, when joints were visible and movement was intentional.
Each piece is made by hand using traditional metal techniques, combined with carefully controlled industrial processes. Brass is allowed to age naturally and change over time. Precision and imperfection exist side by side, giving the works their character and physical presence.
In this exhibition, Hydra is treated less as an object and more as a character. Light steps forward from the background, calm and attentive. Some bulbs face one another, as if exchanging informa tion. Whether they are observing, coordinating, or quietly deciding what comes next is impossible to say.
BIOGRAPHY OF NIKHIL PAUL (PAUL MATTER)
Born in Zambia, raised in New Delhi, and educated in Milan, Nikhil Paul founded Paul Matter in 2017. His practice explores light be yond function, operating between sculpture, design, and experi ence. His debut collection, Tango, established him internationally and is now considered an icon, featured in 100 Objects of Desire. His work has been exhibited at Unité d’Habitation in Marseille, Tokyo Design Week, NOMAD Circle Monaco, Salone del Mobile Milan, and PAD Art + Design in London and Paris, and is part of private collections worldwide.
The Great Design Disaster
Connective Tension
18 February - end of March 2026
Download catalogue
Photography by Luigi Fiano & Ardesia Coco
The five pieces presented: ceiling lamps, wall lamps, hybrid forms, and a floor lamp, refuse clear categories. They are not designed to belong to a single surface or function, but to exist between them. Rather than obeying established lighting types, each piece pro poses its own position, shaped by space, use, and circumstance.
Hydra is an organism. There is no clear beginning, no obvious end. Like light itself, it travels continuously, across ceiling, wall, and f loor, ignoring architectural boundaries with gentle confidence and a mild disregard for typology. Each articulated arm shifts the object’s trajectory in space, turning a fixed form into a responsive system. Slight movements generate entirely new compositions, proving that commitment is overrated and flexibility is everything.
Rather than reproducing a historical moment, the Hydra series draws from a time when technology was mechanical and expres sive, when joints were visible and movement was intentional.
Each piece is made by hand using traditional metal techniques, combined with carefully controlled industrial processes. Brass is allowed to age naturally and change over time. Precision and imperfection exist side by side, giving the works their character and physical presence.
In this exhibition, Hydra is treated less as an object and more as a character. Light steps forward from the background, calm and attentive. Some bulbs face one another, as if exchanging informa tion. Whether they are observing, coordinating, or quietly deciding what comes next is impossible to say.
BIOGRAPHY OF NIKHIL PAUL (PAUL MATTER)
Born in Zambia, raised in New Delhi, and educated in Milan, Nikhil Paul founded Paul Matter in 2017. His practice explores light be yond function, operating between sculpture, design, and experi ence. His debut collection, Tango, established him internationally and is now considered an icon, featured in 100 Objects of Desire. His work has been exhibited at Unité d’Habitation in Marseille, Tokyo Design Week, NOMAD Circle Monaco, Salone del Mobile Milan, and PAD Art + Design in London and Paris, and is part of private collections worldwide.
The Great Design Disaster
Connective Tension
18 February - end of March 2026
Download catalogue
Photography by Luigi Fiano & Ardesia Coco