In an unexpected and groundbreaking collaboration, renowned designer Harry Nuriev has lent his visionary touch to Baccarat's iconic Z\u00e9nith chandelier, creating a piece that transcends traditional luxury and delves into themes of scarcity, memory, and the art of repurposing. This innovative project challenges observers to reconsider the inherent value of objects, transforming the opulent crystal fixture into a canvas for everyday relics.
Artist Harry Nuriev Reimagines Baccarat's Z\u00e9nith Chandelier with Everyday Objects
Designer Harry Nuriev has unveiled a thought-provoking reinterpretation of Baccarat's renowned Z\u00e9nith chandelier through a unique collaboration. This artistic endeavor, currently showcased at the Crosby Gallery until January 18, 2026, and scheduled to grace Maison Baccarat in Paris starting January 20, transforms the historic lighting fixture into a contemporary statement. Nuriev's concept, dubbed 'transformism,' involves meticulously integrating various fragments of daily existence\u2014such as pens, jewelry, bottle caps, compact discs, and keychains\u2014into the chandelier's classic crystal framework. This bold artistic choice aims to provoke a dialogue on a future where resources may be scarce, and common objects acquire profound significance and preciousness through reuse.
Nuriev envisions the chandelier as a vessel carrying cultural narratives, remarking, "The Z\u00e9nith Baccarat chandelier becomes a messenger, transporting elements of our present into an imagined future, where the act of repurposing sustains life by utilizing what was once overlooked." His artistic contribution extends beyond mere ornamentation, crafting a compelling narrative that postulates a world devoid of crystal, compelling future custodians to replace missing components with whatever materials are at hand. The resulting artwork serves as a speculative archaeological find from the present, endowing disposable items with considerable symbolic weight and emotional resonance.
This re-envisioned Z\u00e9nith chandelier thoughtfully incorporates the fixture's traditional sculptural vocabulary, including its gracefully twisted arms, delicate fleurs-de-lys, sharp arrowed prisms, intricate octagon chains, and tiny bells. Furthermore, its form is extended by a visible metallic structure, which seamlessly integrates into the overall composition. This structural addition emphasizes the artwork's hybrid nature, oscillating between a functional lighting piece, an installation, and a deeply emotional artifact. Baccarat, the distinguished manufacturer of fine crystal, characterizes this creation as simultaneously grand and intimate, designed to blur the distinctions between practicality and expressive art.
This collaboration builds upon Nuriev's previous engagements with Maison Baccarat, where he notably transformed the entryway into a dynamic visual manifesto, incorporating gestures, words, and symbols intrinsically linked to the craft of crystal making. Across all these projects, the New York and Paris-based designer's methodology deliberately avoids nostalgia. Instead, he displaces historical objects from their original contexts and situates them within speculative future scenarios, necessitating a re-evaluation of their meaning. Through this innovative partnership with Baccarat, the focus shifts to value as an inherently fluid, relational concept, deeply intertwined with memory.