English artist Rachel Whiteread—or rather, Dame Rachel Whiteread—is collaborating with Puiforcat, a French silversmith company, on a new silverware collection. Whiteread won the prestigious Turner Prize in 1993; she was the first female winner, and, at the time, the youngest, at age 29. She has since become known for cast sculptures in industrial materials like concrete, plaster, and resin.
According to Wallpaper magazine, Whiteread’s Puiforcat collection is inspired by corrugated cardboard, an atypical reference point given the brand’s reputation for highly-polished silver pieces devoid of any imperfections or irregularities. “I knew that the surfaces of the cardboard would transfer well to silver and reflect the light in an interesting way,” Whiteread told Wallpaper.
The seven-piece collection includes two serving trays, a pitcher and two tumblers, and two napkin rings. The trays not only feature the telltale parallel grooves of corrugated cardboard but also the overlapping corners (picture the lid of a banker box). There are even overlapping concentric circles on the silver tray, as if a frosty glass has left a watermark. The tray resembles some of Whiteread’s more recent artworks that were on view at Luhring Augustine‘s Tribeca location in 2023. Untitled (Silver Pallet), for example, is a piece of flattened cardboard cast in lacquered silver, complete with a grid of 24 circular impressions leftover from box’s cans.
Puiforcat has collaborated with at least one artist in the recent past. In 2003, the company released an 8-piece dinner set based on drawings from 1989 by Donald Judd. The sterling silver plates, cups, and serving bowl were created under the direction of the artist’s son, Flavin Judd, .
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