Werk It, Kaspar!

At our sister gallery in Brussels, Spazio Nobile, the Season VII exhibition displays the work of Die Werkstatt, a collective formed by designers Damien Gernay, Kaspar Hamacher, Valentin Loellmann and Fabian von Spreckelsen and photographer Jonas Loellmann.

As part of our series on the group, we spoke with Hamacher about growing up with wood as a constant, the story behind a bench in the exhibition and his idea of independence.

TLmag: What is the most important part to you about working with wood?
Kaspar Hamacher: It’s the only thing I like to do. I am the son of a forester, I lived in the forest, and I did research at a Steiner school on Constantin Brancusi. I’ve been busy working with wood since I was a child.

TLmag: Is there, you think, a new appreciation for craftsmanship in the design scene?
KH: Yes, it is more and more appreciated. People like to create their own surroundings with objects that have a meaning, a soul.

TLmag: What’s the piece in Die Werkstatt exhibition at Spazio Nobile that means the most to you?
KH: The chiseled big bench. I like it a lot because getting there was hard. It was a heavy tree, so getting it out of the forest was difficult. I ended up working outside in the forest on it. It’s a beauty!

TLmag: What unlikely experiment do you think has paid off the most for your career?
KH: To do what I want, to be free. I am independent!

Die Werkstatt – Season VII is on display until May 13