Soft Soil, a unique work produced by Paris-based collective Niveau Zero Atelier in response to Relay’s invitation to produce a work experimenting with a new material, process or format.

In response to the Relay Design Projects invitation, Niveau Zero Atelier wished to expand their previous work M.E.G.A (Module d’Exploitation de Gisement Argilifère) a long-term project exploring in-situ ceramic production on construction sites in Greater Paris. The N0A team reclaim the raw mineral clay on-site, processing and purifying the resource before firing the clay to produce ceramic works. 

In Soft Soil, N0A explores the unique possibility of the mineral clay in its wet form. Here the clay is used as a stand-in for upholstery. Encapsulated within a clear vacuum-sealed form the clay is perpetually malleable.

Encapsulated in a clear vacuum seal, the clay takes on the role of upholstery. The softness of the material provides comfort, its natural mineral content offering a soft pistachio hue. This sits on a recycled steel daybed, with a discreet drawer containing a geological etching for the collector.

See more from Collection II here.