For Galerie Philia’s exhibition at Milan Salone 23, I have responded to the theme of “Desacralized” by creating a lamp that reprises and simplifies the form of an altar. Topped with a floating plane of thin, translucent white stone, it also suggests a Japanese temple light. This is not a sacred object; however, it expresses an enquiry into sacrality.

What constitutes a sacred object: the intention of its maker, and/or its form, materiality, usage, placement, stewardship? Can any object acquire or embody sacrality?

Where do the boundaries of the sacred lie, and is there latitude for ambiguity? Can a piece (or space) once regarded as sacred be desacralized irrevocably? And ultimately, why do we seek, bestow or rescind sacrality?