Res Mobilis

The furniture representing episcopal power in the Cathedral of Orihuela

2024-01-12T17:15:28+01:00

This article studies the furniture of bishops and archbishops as a symbol of episcopal power in cathedrals, based on the analysis of the examples preserved in the current diocese of Orihuela – Alicante. The episcopal cathedra as the main movable element in cathedrals and the prelate's seat in cathedral choirs were the types of furniture that represented the authority, legitimacy and magisterium of the prelates in their cathedral sees. In Orihuela, there are different examples of this type of furniture that allow us to delve deeper into the relevance of these pieces and the importance that was given to them at the time of their design and commissioning to artists of relevance during the Baroque.

A furniture design experience with a biomimetic approach: LOT-US

2024-09-02T15:25:35+02:00

Nature has perpetually remained a potent wellspring of inspiration for humans because over the years, through the process of natural selection, animals and plants have evolved unique traits to survive and adapt to their environment. These traits can be a source of inspiration for humans when they face problems that require solutions. Biomimetic approach, a discipline based on the idea of designing inspired by nature or imitating biological systems, is used to understand the unique properties and functions of living organisms in nature and to apply these properties to human-made products. The aim of this study is to highlight that nature constitutes one of the most significant sources of inspiration in the realm of design and to experience that original designs can be created by correctly constructing many qualities to be transferred from nature to design. In this context, a multifunctional and hygienic furniture emulating the lotus flower was designed with a biomimetic approach.

Building an identity. Javier Carvajal's designs for Loewe’s brand stores (1959-1963)

2024-11-05T13:40:57+01:00

At the end of the 1950s, Enrique Loewe Knappe commissioned architect Javier Carvajal to design the future Loewe stores. Faced with this commission, Carvajal not only decided to respond to his client's request but also to build the identity of the luxury brand's stores based on the design of the premises' interiors and their furniture, giving them a common image. This article aims to analyse and highlight the different designs by Javier Carvajal, some of which were never built, classifying them according to his role in the purchasing process. This classification allows us to see how the architect was ahead of his time, building the image of Loewe thanks to an innovative vision of how the brand's points of sale should be.

The Lockdown Historic House Museum: The Subversion of the Domestic Ideal during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Bo Burnham’s Inside

2024-11-13T22:50:56+01:00

American comedian Bo Burnham’s musical comedy special Inside (2021) can be regarded as a theatrical yet accurate representation of daily life during the lockdown that was imposed due to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyse the manner in which the subversion of the domestic ideal during the pandemic era is depicted in Inside, which is characterised by an enforced domesticity with negative connotations and consequences, as well as by abnormally blurry boundaries between the inside and the outside as a result of the almighty nature of the Internet.

School furniture during the first pedagogical renovation after the Spanish Civil War: 1952 - 1970

2024-10-31T11:45:01+01:00

This research analyses the evolution of school furniture in Spain between 1952 and 1970, framing it in a context of pedagogical, industrial and technological transformation. Three central aspects are identified: first, the influence of active pedagogical methodologies that demanded more flexible and ergonomic furniture; second, advances in design and materials, such as the integration of mixed wood and metal structures, driven by innovations such as metal tube bending; and third, the impact of educational policies and state programmes that promoted the modernisation of classrooms. The protagonists include architects such as Miguel Fisac, Mariano García Benito and Rafael de la Hoz, among others, together with firms such as Federico Giner, whose production reflects the changes in educational practices and technological advances. This work highlights the relevance of school furniture as a catalyst for new learning dynamics, connecting design, pedagogy and industry in the period studied.

Restoration process of a 19th century Indian screen belonging to the Casino Amistad Numancia in Soria

2024-11-29T08:30:13+01:00

This article details the restoration process of a 19th century Indian screen, an exceptional work that combines artistic and heritage value, owned by the Casino Círculo Amistad Numancia in Soria. The intervention addressed both structural problems and the preservation of the polychromy, affected by the ageing of varnishes and the attack of wood-eating insects. Through an interdisciplinary approach, which combines historical and aesthetic analysis with the application of conservation techniques, the preservation and visual reading of this unique piece has been guaranteed. In addition, the restoration raises reflections on the balance between intervention and respect for the integrity of the material of the work. The photographic documentation and the assessment of the ethical and methodological criteria adopted reinforce the importance of protecting historical furniture, highlighting its relevance not only as a functional object, but as an essential cultural testimony.

History and technique of the Canary Islands Cathedral clock: its significance in the context of 18th century Spanish clockmaking

2024-11-20T10:39:52+01:00

The subject of interest of this article is the mechanical tower clock of the Cathedral of the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria), commissioned from the London firm Higgs and Evans in 1775. Although the main details of this device have already been made known by Canon Santiago Cazorla, new documents on its commissioning and installation are provided and its technical characteristics are described in detail. The overall evaluation of this mechanism is very important as it is a key piece in Spanish tower clockmaking. Its structure, with its recessed cage, has been the key to attributing a good number of English clocks that historiography had assigned to Spanish officials. The production of the Higgs and Evans watchmakers, active between 1775 and 1832, had as one of its main markets the Spanish crown territories located on the Spanish mainland, adjacent islands and the viceroyalties of America.

Curro Inza, Furniture as a Spatial Strategy

2024-11-27T08:42:44+01:00

This text is about the interior architectures and furniture built by the architect Curro Inza. This is a little-known topic and has not been investigated until now.

Inza was one of the greatest representatives of Spanish organicism and developed his career throughout the sixties and seventies of the 20th century.

His work of

interiors and furniture goes much further than the design of a specific piece and represents a very significant part of his work, reaching half of his architectural production.

The architecture of his buildings has been much more studied and disseminated and hence this text aims to explain how an architect of that generation faces interiors and solves them with a series of strategies closely linked to furniture. To do this, we will review a series of commercial premises that explain these strategies.

“Passava la hechura en valor al, material”: The silver bed of the 3rd Marquis of Los Balbases

2024-12-02T09:03:46+01:00

Among all the artistic objects that belonged to Pablo Spínola Doria, 3rd Marquis of Los Balbases, one stands out above the rest: a gilded silver bed made in Augsburg, adorned with a series of intricate decorations that gave the piece a meaning beyond the purely practical and ornamental. Through a formal and symbolic analysis, this study seeks to contextualize this bed not only as a luxury object, but as a tool for self-promotion and a material reflection of the marquis's identity and his cultural patronage policy within the European diplomatic sphere of the Baroque period, thus demonstrating how artistic objects functioned as extensions of their patrons' image and reputation.

Dismantling the Master's House: the Questioning of Domestic Space in the Artistic Work of Costa Badía and the Offmothers Collective

2025-01-06T15:46:12+01:00

The construction of the domestic space as an eminently feminine place associated with specific gender roles has been questioned by feminist analysis since the 1970s. In the visual arts, women artists have used their artistic practices to deconstruct the association of the domestic with the private as opposed to the public space as political, to make visible the inequalities and violence in the home. This article analyzes current claims based on the work of the art collective Offmothers, focused on subverting the construction of motherhood, and that of Costa Badía, whose works delve into domestic spaces according to her experience as a woman artist with disabilities.