Groot Interview
Amytis Kopje · 10 vragen
Inspired by Babylon's Hanging Gardens, we wanted to make this unique story touch daily life. We have created an experience that combines the past with the past and the present by carrying the hanging plants of the…
Your innovative interpretation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the Amytis Cup design creates a tactile connection to ancient history - could you elaborate on how you translated this historical wonder into a functional porcelain form?
Inspired by Babylon's Hanging Gardens, we wanted to make this unique story touch daily life. We have created an experience that combines the past with the past and the present by carrying the hanging plants of the gardens to the surface of the cup. The Amytis Cup was a design that made a functional form of an ancient tale.
The grape cluster motif of the Amytis Cup offers a unique sensory experience - what specific design elements did you incorporate to achieve both the visual appeal and ergonomic comfort in this challenging form?
We wanted to interpret the organic form of grape cluster both aesthetically and easily. We arranged the rhythm of the protrusions on the surface in accordance with the grasp of the hand. Thus, we obtained a form that offers both visually rich and ergonomically comfortable sensory experience.
After spending two years perfecting the Amytis Cup through research and development, what were the most significant technical challenges you encountered when working with fine Limoges porcelain to achieve this complex shape?
The fact that the fine Limoges porcelain was a fragile and difficult to hold shape by nature was the biggest challenge to produce the complex form of design. In particular, we have developed long trials and special patterns to ensure that the protrusions resembling grape cluster are left properly during casting and to maintain the form after cooking. We have repeatedly revised the production process to make the material both aesthetics and durable.
The Amytis Cup seamlessly merges cultural storytelling with contemporary functionality - how did you balance preserving the emotional narrative of Queen Amytis while ensuring practical usability in modern contexts?
The most important goal for us was to create a form that made the story feel but did not make it difficult to use. We moved the emotional narrative to the texture and organic lines of the cup, but we designed its size and weight according to the ergonomics of a modern cup. Thus, we have created an object that makes it felt the past and can be used easily in daily life.
Your A' Design Award recognition for the Amytis Cup highlights its innovative functionality - could you share insights into how the specialized molding method you developed contributes to both the aesthetic and practical aspects of the design?
Developing a special molding method has enabled us to be able to reflect the grape bunch of grape tissue and also maintain the strength of the form. Thanks to this method, while creating a detailed and aesthetic texture on the surface, we paid attention to the ergonomic and useful of the cup. We have achieved a visually rich and durable result.
The versatility of the Amytis Cup, serving everything from coffee to wine, seems to reflect a deeper philosophy about modern dining experiences - what inspired this multifunctional approach in your design process?
In modern life, we believe that objects should not be stuck in a single purpose. We wanted to increase functionality and offer freedom to the user by transforming Amytis Cup into a design that can be used in different beverages. We have combined this approach with a aesthetics that adapt to daily rituals.
Looking at the precise technical specifications of the Amytis Cup, particularly the 200ml volume and 80mm diameter, how did these dimensional constraints influence your artistic interpretation of the hanging gardens concept?
200 ml of volume and 80 mm diameter, an ergonomic grip and a balanced center of gravity has drawn ideal limits. Thanks to these dimensions, we ensured that each protrusion remains both aesthetic and functional without condensing the complex texture of the design. We carefully optimized the details of the Asma Gardens to make the details of these measures to be read and produced.
The Amytis Cup represents a beautiful marriage between ancient storytelling and modern production techniques - could you elaborate on how 3D printing technology enabled you to achieve this intricate design while maintaining the artisanal quality?
3D printing technology was an important tool for us to correctly model the fine details of grape cluster texture. Thanks to this technology in the prototype process, we have repeatedly reviewed and perfect the form. However, in the last production, we maintained handicrafts and made each piece unique by hand finishing the tissues and details on the surface. Thus, we took advantage of both the sensitivity of technology and the spirit of hand making.
As creators of the Amytis Cup under the Mocco brand, how does this design embody your stated mission of creating emotional connections through well-designed objects that shape mood and experience?
With the Amytis Cup, we brought together a story that touches the past. We wanted to create an experience that makes an emotional connection between the user and the user, but when he took it. As Mocco, we care about this emotional bond as well as functionality and aesthetics in every design.
Given the success and recognition of the Amytis Cup, including its A' Design Award achievement, how do you envision evolving this design language in future pieces within your handmade porcelain collection?
As the Mocco brand, we have developed ourselves to do what is not done and bring the stories of the past to modern designs, and we have many designs that we have implemented in this direction. The most impressive and special one for us was the Amytis Cup; That's why we wanted to participate in the competition with this cup. The fact that this award was awarded the Amytis Cup showed us that we were on the right path and increased our motivation. We will continue to tell stories by doing what is not done in the future as a Mocco brand and keeping functionality and modernism in the forefront.
