- Work, Index
I love to tell stories but am afraid of words. An obsessive of sorts – composing & assembling / arranging & rearranging to showcase excellence of master artisans I have met over the years. Their competence in making things & their ease in materializing thought demand to be shared. Preserving crafts & keeping traditions alive might seem redundant. An afterthought. A sentimental notion. But creating objects is a fundamental part of the human condition & the beginning of it all.
After years as a creative force for big international companies like Georg Jensen, Calvin Klein & The Swatch Group & creative consultant for the United Nations Development Organization I cofounded co/rizom to develop a tool that connects traditional artisans with global retailers.
Current collaborations: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Georgia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Romania & Uzbekistan.
Stephansplatz 5, 1010 Vienna
The protection of your privacy is very important to us. Below, we provide for you new detailed information regarding about the handling of your data.
The responsible party for the processing of your data is:
Nadja Zerunian, Stephansplatz 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Tel: +43 2734 21 72 0; E-Mail: nz@nadjazerunian.com.
If you have any questions about the collection, processing or use of your personal data or if you would like to exercise your rights to information, or for the revision, correction or deletion of data, please contact Nadja Zerunian, Stephansplatz 5, 1010 Vienna; Austria, Tel: +43 2734 21 72 0; E-Mail: nz@nadjazerunian.com.
You can visit our website without providing any personal information. Nevertheless, every time you request a file through your internet browser, access data (including the name of the retrieved page or file, date and time, internet browser used, the page from which you have come to us (Referer), screen resolution and operating system, etc.) is sent to us and evaluated by us for statistical purposes. No information, even extracts, will be forwarded to any third parties.
We use cookies to make your visit to our website an appealing one and to allow certain features to be used. These are small text files that are stored on your computer.
The cookies remain on your computer and allow us to recognize your computer on your next visit (long-term cookies). These cookies are used to store the individual selections made by the visitor (for example, articles stored in a shopping cart), and then restore them when the respective site is visited again. We also use cookies for creating non-personalized statistics.
You can set your browser to inform you about the cookie settings; to decide on a case-by-case basis or to rule out the acceptance of cookies. Failure to accept cookies may limit the functionality of our website. Under “Help” in your browser, you will find a description of how to set the current browser accordingly and to accept or reject cookies. In order to use our shopping cart, cookies must be allowed. If you do not want to accept cookies, you can also place your order by phone or e-mail
The following cookies are set:
Cartcount, 1day, number of items in shopping cart
Snipcard_order_token, 7 days, unfinished ordert hat can be completed later
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies", which are text files that are stored on your computer and that allow an analysis of how you use our website.
The following cookies are stored and read on your computer:
_ga, 2 years, to uniquely identify the user, _gid, 24 hours, to uniquely identify the user, _gat, 1 minute, serves to limit queries
Cookie-generated information about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there. Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate your use of this website, to compile reports on website activity for us, and to provide us with other services related to website activity and internet usage. We use Google-generated reports solely to optimize our website and market research.
You have the option to completely block the collection by Google of the data generated by the cookie and that is related to your use of the website as well as the processing of this data by Google. For this you need a browser add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. This browser add-on is available for Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Opera. We have extended Google Analytics with the code ga('set', 'anonymizeIp', true) so that your IP address will be shortened (IP anonymization).
By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google for the purposes and in the manner described above. Which cookies Google Analytics can store on your computer, for how long the cookies are stored and for what purpose they serve can be found at developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/cookie-usage. For more information on how Google uses the data, please visit google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/partners/.
Your contract data is encrypted using SSL over the Internet. We secure our website and other systems through technical and organizational measures against loss, destruction, access, modification or dissemination of your data by unauthorized persons.
You have the right to request information about all processed data, the correction or deletion of this data or the restriction of the processing of the data. Furthermore, you can object to the processing of the data. You can also revoke your consent to the use of your data at any time, by sending an e-mail to: nz@nadjazerunian.com If you object to the processing of the data or revoke your consent to its use, this will result in the deletion of your customer account. If you revoke your consent, this does not affect the legality of the processing up to that point in time. You also have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, common and machine-readable format.
If you believe that your data will be used contrary to legal requirements, you can submit a complaint to the Data Protection Authority at www.dsb.gv.at ; telephone: +43 1 531 15-202525; or e-mail: dsb@dsb.gv.at. Please contact us in advance – we assume that we can answer your questions directly in most cases.
Photos by Erli Gruenzweil
Photos by Stefanie Moshammer
Photos by Thomas Albdorf
Photos by Mark Glassner
Photos by Thomas Albdorf
Photos by Thomas Albdorf
Art Direction Pia Scharler, Photos by Mark Glassner
Photos by Lisa Edi, Daniela Trost
Photos by Mark Glassner
Art Direction Pia Scharler, Photos by Mark Glassner
Art Direction Pia Scharler, Photos by Mark Glassner
Art Direction Pia Scharler, Photos by Mark Glassner
Photos by Daniela Trost & Studio Shapiro
Photos by Erli Gruenzweil
exploring smell as the carrier of memory
150 million year old limestone carved into objects - holding the sensation of
longing. natural essences dripping in repetitive rhythm.
stone Gustav Hummel, St.Margarethen / natural essences & sensory concept Philipp Kolmann
'The syllables be said and said again. Time shall belong to man.' Dylan Thomas
suspended concentration
fracturing the limitation of isolation
allowing a vital human experience -
prompting a focused sensation.
repetitive rhythms
choreographing infinitive longing
demanding limitless being -
facing a city built of oceans in stone.
fluid temptation
envisioning individual recollections
transformed into potential futures -
contesting a collective perspective.
A still life focused on fruit - correlated with moral code throughout the centuries.
Associated with temptation, seduction & lust – burdened with polemic values that defined visual language & are pillars of cultural heritage.
A whole and intense universe expressed through objects, frozen, hesitantly waiting to continue a never-ending story. Forbidding and precious, as the famed fruit.
Objects to define tales. Refined creations expanding their roles - revisiting pre-formed assumptions, finally re-evaluating prejudices and established positions. A scenario framed within a distinct tension, between belief and disbelief – a still life referring to consolidated traditions of moral / immoral codes, charged with undecipherable myths.
mc didero
as if a fruit
could hold eternal condemnation
as if thirst for knowledge
could signify catastrophic destiny
as if curiosity
could originate infinite guilt
as if a simple gesture
could stereotype identities
as if a single choice
could define future generations
as if being human
could expel you from paradise
Loneliness as a transient experience. The transformation of the individual into a collective condition. Ten objects defining different layers of this relatively modern phenomenon. Manufactured by viennese master artisans in bronze, silver, glass, wood & the virtual world as souvenirs or relics memorializing this recent emotion.
‘Afraid suddenly that this was all there was to it.’ (Ted Hughes)
Whole new ballgame.
When movement came to a halt & togetherness was enforced –
interactions regulated / orchestrated & choreographed.
Relationships inevitably fell back into patterns of dependency.
Five objects in bronze examining the fragility of closeness.
A special thanks –
as always to Martin Hufnagl, Vienna
Paris Design Week 2020
Thu 3 – Mon 7 Sept: 11:00 – 19:00
Sat 5 Sept: late night opening until 21:00
Tue 8 Sept: 11:00 – 17:00
Espace Commines, Le Marais
17 Rue Commines, 75003 Paris
Metro Filles du Calvaire/Saint-Sébastien Froissart
Exploring the hallucinogenic tedium of daily routines — promises of paradise—casually broken. The collaboration with Sofie Lachaert from atelier lachaert dhanis and Paul M Graves & Aleksandar Pertemov aka Abby Union is referencing sensual toys, serving deli bal, a honey from the Caucasus with stimulating & aphrodisiac qualities. Precious utensils serving prosaic and ceremonial tasks, but ultimately examining notions of lust, love & temptation.
„Fascinated by research that suggests that drugs can be used to modulate love, Nadja Zerunian has conceived a physical and pharmaceutical representation of three building blocks of love: lust, attraction and attachment. With the help of crystal glass specialist Lobmeyr, Zerunian has created three crystal receptacles and corresponding spoons and spatulas made from gold-plated copper, while Alexander Ehrmann of Vienna’s Saint Charles Apothecary has developed the matching potions: ‘Lust’ is an ingestible powder from clary sage, parsley, arginine and saffron; ‘Attraction’ is a liquid made from yohimbine, ginseng and maca; ‘Attachment’ is a wearable concoction from bergamot, jasmine, rose, sandalwood and ambergris.“
Wallpaper, Emma Moore
Saint Charles Apothecary
A sixth-generation chemist, Alexander Ehrmann has been managing Vienna’s renowned Saint Charles Apothecary since 2006, combining tradition with modern pharmacology to produce a range of natural remedies, cosmetics and health supplements.
Lobmeyr
Founded in 1823 by Joseph Lobmeyr, this Viennese glass manufacturer has a long and illustrious history. Its collaborators include Thomas Edison, Josef Hoffmann and, more recently, Matteo Thun and Ted Muehling.
We always try to challenge what seems to be the ephemeral nature of love - this most powerful emotion, that makes us so vulnerable & exposed when unrequited or lost. To defy the non-predictability of this sensation we have throughout history developed tools to give us the illusion of mastering our own destiny. From ancient rituals of erotic thrill, to classical spells of attraction & compulsion. From medieval potions & rituals or contemporary enhancements - we do not yet have deciphered the magic spell, that true loves hold.
„Cinq á sept is the time for secret encounters: illicit love is best consumed in the afternoon. Even if only two people are involved in the act, every affair is a ménage à trois. The most unpretentious objects can become mysterious and symbolically charged when placed on a stage: in this case a series of precious vessels visualize collective complicity and intricate connections. Like in a psychological role-play, 35 sets, always composed of three objects, explore the triangulations of human interactions, attachments and bonds. It is at times a balancing act, missing links, final straws or ultimate touches, that create tension, allow intimacy or are the destructive element of a predictable pattern.“
Alice Stori Liechtenstein
Glorious Standing
Supportive Act
Calculated Risk
Discreet Arrangement
Alternative Deal
Double Hearted
Balancing Act
Complicit Complication
Yes, Dear
Like you Said
Tipping Point
Perfect Match
Payback
Inevitable Assosciation
Up to a Point
Reality Check
Welcomed Distraction
Occasional Alliance
What a Drag
Intimate Intensity
Routine’s Remedy
Comme Toujours
Another Kind of Love
O’darling
Side Step
Here &There
Playmate
Promises, Promises
Cornuto
Afterhours
Suspended Thrill
„Nadja Zerunian uses objects the way a playwrite uses dialogue. She conjures forms out of precious metals, and places them in conversation with one another. Her vessels and tools might serve prosaic or ceremonial tasks, like pouring or serving, but they are ultimately an effort to explore ideas – a Freudian attempt to free feelings and emotions. Liabilities, is a series of objects, interpreting the complexity and ordinary nature of relationships. Produced with traditional Transylvanian Roma artisans, who use to this day their archaic methods and tools, the metal vessels portray one hundred scenarios, exploring human interactions, attachments and bonds. The multiple ways relationships unfold – seducing, balancing, supporting, overbearing, bonding – are mirrored in the way the bowls, plates, jugs rest next to each other. These beautifully crafted objects, deliberately arranged and perfectly executed, are precious treasures to behold. Or perhaps an army of lovers, waiting to be freed from a spell by the magic power of touch.“
Alice Stori Liechtenstein
adjusted coordination
bonded arrangement
fused alignment
deceptive submission
attached affiliation
calculated placement
altered direction
fatalist pact
patient revolution
controlled procedure
gradual amendment
bored variation
assured roles
obedient compliance
deferential engagement
probable confirmation
stoic alliance
flirtatious addiction
dependent formation
predictable triviality
uniform destiny
adventurous frivolity
delicate monotony
hazardous probe
lively confrontation
exaggerated formality
mischievous combination
seductive play
integrated autonomy
spirited provision
validated stereotype
indestructible protocol
timid retreat
accepted triangulation
compromised situation
regulated track
excessive admiration
disappointed expectation
committed rite
exhausted anticipation
perfected routine
superficial unity
perplexing sameness
transient intimacy
reserved dependability
decisive loyalty
detached reflection
liable security
generous interpretation
conventional deal
reliable configuration
steady constancy
familiar replication
relaxed obligation
perpetual possibility
established deliverable
accentuated vacancy
improbable position
delicious seduction
coquettish pursuit
unconditional dedication
symbiotic comfort
energized chase
amorous production
extroverted intensity
precarious balance
rooted proximity
discarded trophy
settled endowment
visionary translation
defiant condition
extensive happiness
perfect deception
complete togetherness
trusted assurance
natural attachment
synergic connection
detectable delusion
persistent resemblance
proven setting
complicit consideration
naive mandate
lost integrity
consequent liberty
determined commitment
eternal fantasy
renounced individuality
ephemeral bind
profound fragility
incomprehensible completeness
impenetrable devotion
absolute reliability
categorical chance
passive hostility
ecstatic closeness
total harmony
comprehensive fusion
celebrated affinity
caring bond
discrete isolation
intact utopia.
The classic geometry of a human condition compensating for paradise lost. A series of volumes decoding complex relationship scenarios. Copper, chased by hand. Gold plated. Red enameled.
I need you.
I need you – You need me.
I need you to need me.
One love
Two loves
Structured routines
Balanced habits
Gradual adjustments.
Predictable compositions
Devoted sameness
Symbiotic deceptions.
Complex ties
Conclusive positions
Resigned consequences.
One love, Two loves
True loves.
A site specific interaction / embracing the history but also austerity of a vacated space / investigating the routines of last exchanges – but ultimately exploring our own transient presence.
The silent quality of being
transcending the now.
Infinite moments
losing their sound
concluding in ultimate pause.
Rites of goodbyes
finally
becoming white.
Seven rituals promising a state of monotony in an over-saturated environment. Seven tools encouraging to either compose or decelerate delay to disconnect de-stimulate, then detach before diverting to ultimate boredom & emptiness. Exquisite materials. Essential shapes. Masterfully crafted. A global conversation, honoring the emotional state of boredom. www.ritualsforboredom.com www.sarahlindaforrer.com
With Sarah Linda Forrer
Compose / Discompose
Decelerate / Absorb
Delay / Sort
Disconnect / Pause
De-stimulate / Isolate
Detach / Repeat
Divert / Obsess
Exploring the world of poisons, toxins & dangers – exposing the malefaction of beauty. A wicked temptation, a fatal attraction, a perfect little universe, masterfully curated, skillfully narrated. Each tray epitomizes either a toxic substance, a ruinous poison or grave danger, an assemblage of objects, made by hand, mixed with cherished treasures, delicately balanced, perfectly composed. Exquisitely crafted, fatally deceptive, dangerously destructive. Intimate, mischievous & tempting. precious, transient & precarious.
Curated by Alice Stori Liechtenstein
Maculata
Hemlock (conium maculatum),
innocently fragile
Edin
Apple (malum),
conveniently available
Seven
Uranium (vaseline glass),
luminously radiant
Imperfecti
Mold (mould),
commonly forgotten
Kacha
Angels Trumpet (brugmansia),
viciously vindictive
Core
Blue Vitriol (copper sulfate),
intensely coarse
Satis
Elderberry (sambucus),
dangerously familiar
Lily
Lily of the Valley (convallaria majalis),
purely naive
Dolly
White Baneberry (acatea pachypoda),
banal & fatal
Boleti
Bitter Oyster (panellus stipticus),
obsessively luminous