We’re off to Fulham in London to visit the home of French native Chloé Macintosh, co-founder of Made.com. Chloé welcomes us into a...
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The British artist Conrad Shawcross – known for placing scientific and philosophical questions at the centre of his thinking – has been living in these former stables in the middle of the London borough of Hackney for around 15 years. However, he is not alone when we meet him this morning, but accompanied by his wife, Carolina Mazzolari and their three children. Previously a huge workshop, this space had to be transformed into a welcoming home, capable of accommodating family life with ease. A project that is still a long way from being completed but that is emerging over time. Most recently, the couple had to add another working space, for Carolina this time. This daughter of a famous perfumer, from Milan is also a textile designer. She and Conrad talk a lot about their respective creative processes and assist each other in the achievement of their personal projects. Lively discussions that enrich an Italian-style communal life where Carolina and Conrad like to entertain guests when they’re not away travelling. An openness of mind that can be felt from the very minute you enter their private world. Here, the children can mess around as they would in their favourite hideouts, while the adults devote themselves to their experimentations. Family furniture and souvenirs picked up on visits to faraway places add the finishing touches to this natural but perceptibly living decor.
Carolina, could you tell us about yourself?
I’m a Milanese girl, brought up between Switzerland, Milan and then last in London. I’m a visual artist. I worked as a textile designer for quite a long stretch of my career start so people think that I’m a fashion designer. But essentially I’m a textile artist with a lifelong dip into photography. At the moment I’m happily working on a large scale serie of tapestries and on a short music film.
What do you do here in Hackney? What do you like best about the neighbourhood?
In Hackney, I have my house and studio that I share with my husband. We live in a converted ex barn and we rebuilt a whole new part to fit his massive artstudio below Conrad is a British sculptor and needs lots of space, our 3 kids live in the house with us. Hackney and Clapton is a very friendly neighbourhood, dynamic and with lots of artists, architects, young entrepreneurs. I could say that Hackney is run by the young people mainly. It’s interesting, it’s wild, it’s getting much cleaner and less rougher since I first came here but it’s still fun.
How have you furnished your living space? Did Conrad contribute to the overall result?
Conrad and I have been collecting stuff and curiosities since we were young so we have quite a lot of objects between the both of us. We like it somewhere between contemporary industrial and warm it up with some vintage or ethnic pieces.
Do you often work together on things?
We talk a lot about personal projects and process of making, there is a very fluent exchange of opinions. We also have the studios one on top of each other. We officially only worked together for the Royal Opera house where I designed the textiles for his performance Machina back in 2012 and for the house which was and still is quite a big project.
How did you select your furniture? Do you change the furniture regularly?
No we inherited family furniture here and there, we tent to buy furniture or interesting objects at markets or when we travel.
Is there a particular era, artist, or work that influences you most?
No there is not a strict consistence, we appreciate timeless design.
Could you let us know about your favourite places to go in London?
We do tent to be cultural when we go out so Barbican Center, the Southbank Center, the Old Vic Theatre and the Almeida. Lunch or dinner at Moro in Shoreditch. Dinner at Bocca di Lupo. Getting lost in Soho at night is always fun. Stroll at Borough Market.
Any plans for 2018?
We will be travelling quite a lot from this month onwards: Hong Kong, Vietnam, France, Italy and Mexico. I’m preparing the tapestry show hopefully for the end of the year and finishing an Opera music film. Conrad has a solo show at Victoria Miro Gallery in Mayfair in september and a stunning new piece in Frieze Sculpture park for this summer.
Photography: Constance Gennari – Text: Caroline Balvay – Translation: TextMaster @thesocialitefamily
Wow! What an inspiring home, to work and live! Beautiful. One of my favorite TSF pieces!
Meg in Arizona