sensory installation abstracts human anatomy into sculptural light objects
Richard Yasmine reimagines the five senses as sculptural lighting
Vessels of the Intangible by designer Richard Yasmine is a lighting collection positioned between object design, installation, and scenography. The project explores perception through the five senses, focusing on the moment before interpretation, where sensation precedes cognition and experience is formed through subtle emotional and sensory cues. The installation is presented as part of 5VIE for Milan Design Week 2026.
Each piece takes one sensory organ, the eye, ear, nose, lips, or finger, as a starting point, reworking it into a sculptural light object. These forms do not aim to replicate anatomy, but rather to abstract it, turning familiar bodily references into autonomous objects. Through this shift, the works translate sensory functions into spatial and material expressions: sight becomes afterimage, sound becomes resonance, scent becomes trace, touch becomes imprint, and taste becomes anticipation.
The collection is developed through a range of materials and techniques, including metal, leather, foam, wood, inlay, embroidery, blown glass, rattan, and enamel. These processes contribute to a layered material language, where surfaces are shaped, assembled, and detailed to emphasize texture and tactility. The objects read as crafted artifacts, detached from their biological origin yet retaining a strong physical presence.
the body listens, sees, tastes, touches, inhales, then loses control | all images by BIZARREBEIRUT
light emerges from within the installation’s sculptural forms
Light operates as an internal element rather than a purely functional one. It emerges from within the forms, reinforcing their volumetric qualities and drawing attention to their surfaces and contours. Instead of illuminating a space directly, the light accentuates the objects themselves and the atmosphere they produce.
Formally, the collection draws on a reinterpretation of neo-baroque sensibilities, translated into a more restrained, psychological register. The objects emphasize curvature, tension, and surface articulation, creating a sense of controlled intensity. Their presence invites close viewing, while maintaining a degree of distance through abstraction.
Presented as part of 5VIE Milano at Via Cesare Correnti 14, Vessels of the Intangible installation by designer Richard Yasmine frames the collection as an environment where objects and perception are closely linked. The focus shifts from the object as a standalone piece to the interaction it generates, foregrounding the sensory and spatial experience over direct representation.
the lips bloom, voicing a desire rarely dared
the lips, overgrown with beauty, on the verge of confession
surfaces are layered to emphasize texture and tactility
a scent on skin, closer than touch, deeper than sight
leather tightens around instinct, sensual, controlled, unresolved
sound strikes, the earring trembles, then surrenders
spikes hold the light, sharp, restless
the ear gathers what the eye cannot see
touch begins in desire and ends in possession
what you think you hold has already taken hold of you
the tear falls, memory made visible
the lid falls, but the emotion overflows
project info:
name: VESSELS OF THE INTANGIBLE
designer: Richard Yasmine | @richard.yasmine
location: 5VIE Milano, Via Cesare Correnti 14, Italy
photographer: BIZARREBEIRUT | @bizarre.beirut
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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