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2.) Build the world around it; The moment after: Chicken and I
This story, Chicken and I, takes place in a magical world story of a ceramic chicken and a man.
The ceramic man was left forgotten in a forest when the merchant, in a flash, ran from bandits right after a feast. It's a miracle not all of the merchant's belongings were taken or broken. Not only was the Ceramic man safe, he so happened to be in a pile of golden powder; some of it dropped from the merchant's cart, which gave the Ceramic man permanent life
However, the ceramic man wasn't alone. He noticed a ceramic chicken nearby, lying lifeless. Not far from the Chicken were scattered seeds the merchant hadn't finished eating. The ceramic man placed the seeds in a pile. He poured the golden powder onto his stick, then sprinkled golden powder onto the seeds with his stick. He fed them to the chicken, thereby bringing it to life. Now the ceramic man and chicken move on to their next adventures, whatever awaits.
I originally wanted to turn this into a full-blown animated video, but technical difficulties and very little time got in the way of getting it all fixed. I still wanted to share an idea I had in mind the minute I got onto the Museum archive. Maybe in the future, when I'm able to, I'll be able to make full-blown videos within Flora. Either way, it was fun to test out this AI!
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L’Empreinte — “The Imprint”
I wanted to explore the relationship we build with the objects around us — the marks they leave on us, and the marks we leave on them.
I started with François-Thomas Germain’s Coffeepot, made in Paris in 1757. What interested me was not only its form, but the world it represented: a time when rituals such as drinking coffee, serving and displaying silverware were surrounded by extraordinary care, craftsmanship and ceremony.
That made me think about our rituals today.
We listen through headphones. We gather around speakers. We work through laptops. We communicate through phones.
The objects have changed, but we still build habits, memories and relationships around them.
What if that same care, refinement and presence were applied to the products surrounding our lives today?
Rather than reproducing the coffeepot, I wanted its design language to leave an empreinte on a new generation of objects. Its flowing ornament, polished silver, sculptural curves and sense of preciousness became the basis for a collection of headphones, speakers, phones and laptops.
The aim was to imagine another evolution of modern design — one where ornament had never completely disappeared, and where technology could still feel crafted, emotional and precious.
Explore the full FLORA project here:
https://app.flora.ai/view/js7b1ngr9rm9d9v0cv3vzc6tkx8dvnrf
I’ve also included a process video showing how the idea developed from the original reference into the final collection and world.
Instead of placing the objects inside a cold technological setting, I built an environment around stone, natural textures, open space, light and the sky. The tree-like elements and blue-and-white opening above connect the space back to nature, contrasting with the polished technology and making the environment feel more grounded and alive.
The people complete that world. They are different, but their gestures overlap: listening, working, communicating and sharing sound. Their presence shows how these objects become part of the body, the room and the rituals that connect us.
That is ultimately what L’Empreinte represents:
the trace history leaves on design,
the trace objects leave on us,
and the trace we leave on them in return.
A collection imagining what might happen if the refinement of the past became part of the design language we still spoke today.
Created with @FLORA for the FLORA Museum Challenge.
Original work:
François-Thomas Germain, Coffeepot, Paris, 1757
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Amazing approach and design work!
VIETNAM, Y3K — FLORA Museum Challenge
For the FLORA Museum Challenge, I chose the Incense Burner with Dragon Spout, a Vietnamese artifact from the 1st–3rd century in The Met’s collection ( https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/53862 ), and reimagined it through a Y3K lens.
I wanted to connect an ancient object with a familiar image of Vietnam today: a woman riding a scooter. The dragon-shaped incense burner became a futuristic chrome vehicle, while traditional Vietnamese clothing and the conical hat were transformed into synthetic future wear.
I built the entire visual world in FLORA, from the clothing and accessories to the dragon scooter, environments, stills, and final video. Using AI as a world building tool, the project imagines how Vietnamese visual culture might evolve into another timeline while still carrying traces of its past.
Love the direction with this! The references to Vietnamese culture is so unique!
What if the whisky-making process became the artwork?
Full Barile identity, campaign and film:
https://contra.com/p/bMNAvgWk-barile-brand-identity-and-launch-campaign
Barrel staves become monumental sculptures. Their curves carry through the collector’s packaging and a 15-second film. Explore four moments from the project here, then discover the complete visual identity and campaign in the case study.
Self-initiated concept for a fictional Brazilian single malt. Creative direction, brand identity and AI-assisted visual development by Mauricio Pontual.
#BrandIdentity #ArtDirection #PackagingDesign #BrandCampaign #AIVideo
The way the barrel curves carry all the way through to the packaging is such a tight through line. Since this was self-initiated, did the sculptural direction come first and the 15 second film get built around it, or were they developed side by side?