Visitors to Milan Design Week 2018 (April 17–21) can experience the latest installation by artist Marc Ange, titled “Le Roi,” presented in collaboration with textile makers Sunbrella. The large-scale work is installed in the garden area of Wallpaper* Handmade.
The fantastical installation centers on an enormous stuffed toy bear, its scale both playful and unsettling. A single golden tear falls from one eye, while gold-leaf lamps and fabric-covered walls and ceilings create a warm, tactile atmosphere. Two Refuge Lamps, also designed by Ange, bathe the figure in light. The artist describes the piece as “an allegory of a lost childhood,” inviting visitors to reflect on memory, innocence and the passage of time.
Constructed from richly textured fabrics and thoughtful lighting, the environment blends craftsmanship and storytelling. The fabric surfaces soften the surrounding space, encouraging a close, intimate encounter with the bear and its details — from stitching and seams to the subtle gleam of the gold tear. The lamps’ glow enhances those details, transforming ordinary materials into a nuanced emotional landscape.
“Le Roi” demonstrates a fusion of visual art and textile design, highlighting how materials traditionally associated with domesticity can convey profound themes. The collaboration with textile specialists ensures the fabrics not only contribute to the aesthetic but also to the installation’s physical presence and durability within an exhibition context.
Set within Wallpaper* Handmade’s garden area, the installation benefits from a contemplative setting that frames the work as both sculpture and environment. The surrounding garden elements and carefully curated lighting emphasize the contrast between the whimsical subject and the weight of its implied narrative.
For visitors, the piece offers multiple points of engagement: it can be appreciated from a distance as a striking sculptural form, or examined closely to reveal the craftsmanship and layered symbolism. Marc Ange’s approach balances theatricality with sensitivity, creating a space that is visually arresting yet emotionally resonant.
By pairing innovative textile work with expressive lighting and sculptural form, “Le Roi” stands as an example of contemporary installation art that speaks to universal experiences—nostalgia, loss and the complexities of growing up—while anchored in meticulous material practice and thoughtful design.