'since i can remember, i wanted to create a garden, to express myself, to build something that simply radiates energy. it does not require any explanation - a garden is straightforward. i wanted to give something back; a reflection of what i gained through my work during the past ten years. i did not have an abundance of money, but it was enough for me to realise that continuing down the same path was just not the right way forward. it could not just be about furniture anymore.

in 2019, when i decided to acquire this former gas factory, i felt confident enough to allow for that change to happen and prepared for what may be my largest project as an individual and main decision-maker. there was never a fixed plan; everything, the whole process was guided by intuition and trust. i consciously chose not to accept any form of state funding throughout the whole process, to preserve my own freedom - to retain my independence of thought and feeling through it all.

this project is an attempt to create something accessible to many, for people from all kinds of backgrounds. i want to create a space that simply radiates energy and inspires, a space for exchange. at the same time, this space serves as my own source of inspiration and motivation and hosts my atelier which must create a continuous flow of new works. it shapes my path as an artist and justifies the value of my pieces. it is all a circle.

the first five years of the factory’s transformation have been a process of change. most of this change happened around my atelier, the heart of it all. from now on, i will try to dedicate more time to the second phase of this project: transferring the space into a foundation for the time to come.

i think at the very core of it all, my work is a desire to help. i am not exactly sure, but i think it is about helping myself not to feel lost and helping others not to feel alone. when i step back and look at the bigger picture, it all seems so small, almost insignificant - because everything else is so vast, and we are just these tiny, almost inconsequential beings in this grand scheme of things. but in a way, it is kind of sweet: a nice little attempt that might even lead to something meaningful.'

 

valentin , june 2025