Heart of Stone – Cor by Tom Fereday

Agglomerati – a London-based studio that collaborates with multi-disciplinary artists to create functional art-objects in stone – presents Cor, a collection of illuminated sculptures by Australian designer Tom Fereday at Alcova 2023.

Fascinated by the tension that lies between natural materials and contemporary design and manufacturing, Tom has developed unique designs that originated from an intrinsic inquiry into the role of objects today. Cor arose from the combination of Tom’s ethos and Agglomerati’s dedication to bringing fresh, new perspectives to a time-honoured material.

Cor arose from the combination of Tom’s ethos and Agglomerati’s dedication to bringing fresh, new perspectives to a time-honoured material.

Cor is a series of towering, illuminated sculptures, each one exuding a gravity that speaks to the fundamental nature of stone. Named after the Latin word for ‘heart’, Cor alludes to our planet as an organism and is formed through a series of luminous dissections of its porous materiality to reveal a light source, representing life, within.

The collection comprises six monolithic totems, distinct in height and containing a spherical aperture that binds the collection. This negative space opens variously in each iteration, adding to the vessels’ enigmatic presence that glows when lit.

Cor is a series of towering, illuminated sculptures, each one exuding a gravity that speaks to the fundamental nature of stone.

Crafted from Roman travertine sourced from Tivoli and produced in the renowned Italian marble region of Pietrasanta, each piece in this series showcases intricate and innovative internal coring, demonstrating a synthesis of material innovation and natural stone on an impressive scale. The individual sculptures are accompanied with a musical arrangement by Italian composer Federic Bisozzi, which serves as a testament to the millions of years that the stone has resonated within the Earth’s core.

Cor exemplifies Tom’s ability to honour materiality while combining form and function to produce, meaningful sculptural design.