01.11.2011 /// The Phyllis Lambert Design Montréal Grant was awarded to industrial designer Guillaume Sasseville. The $10,000 grant will help the recipient complete his project Verre commun, a series of glasses and cups inspired by drinking glasses mass-produced in early 20th-century Montréal, to be designed in Graz, Austria, a member city of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The award was presented during the inaugural Prix de Montréal pour les arts et la culture awards ceremony.
Verre commun: From Montréal’s past to Austrian artistry
With his project Verre Commun, the recipient proposes a journey into Montréal’s history, specifically that of local industrial production of drinking glasses in the early 20th century. He plans to continue his research in Graz, where semi-industrial glassware production is still a going concern.
Once finished, he will create a limited-edition line of glasses and cups inspired by Montréal’s past, drawing on the manufacturing techniques and artistry of Austrian craftspeople.
Guillaume Sasseville
Guillaume Sasseville, a graduate of the Université du Québec à Montréal Environmental Design program, is an industrial designer whose work has encompassed varying scales of the human environment, from urban planning to product design to architecture.
He began his career in 2002 with the architectural firm Saucier+Perrotte. In 2008, he launched his own studio, SSSVLL, taking on projects in jewelry, design for interior spaces, and industrial design. He has also been curator of Carton jaune, an annual design competition devoted to the subverting of everyday behaviours, and has taken part in numerous exhibitions and performance events including Babiche Nouvelle at the Commissaires gallery; From Quebec to New York City in New York; Regard 9 at the Society for Arts & Technology, as part of the 2010 Design Montréal Open House, the 2011 Milan Salone del Mobile; and WantedDesign in New York.
In 2011, Mr. Sasseville earned a master’s degree in Luxury Product Design from the prestigious École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL). During his time in Switzerland, he completed commissions for, among other clients, Baccarat, Christofle and Kopenhagen Fur.
Jury
The jury members were won over by Mr. Sasseville’s project, which highlights the poetic appeal of everyday objects while relying on age-old techniques. The jury comprised Fabrizio Gallanti, Associate Director, Programs, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Frédéric Gauthier, Founder, Les Éditions de la Pastèque, Manuela Goya, Secretary-General, Montréal, Cultural Metropolis, Louis-Charles Lasnier, graphic designer and Founder of Atelier Louis-Charles Lasnier, Jean-Pierre LeTourneux, architect and partner, Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes.
