UrbanMeisters we are excited to present our first SUNDAY GREEN ART DIGEST with Offcyclers– a monthly column that will bring to you hand picked sustainable art projects from around the world. Be it up-cycling or working with sustainable materials, come discover premium sustainable art designs & pieces in this new feature with UrbanMeisters + Offclyclers.
Readers over the next few lazy Sundays we will bring to you sustainable green art spotlights so you can learn a bit more about the independent artists and designers that are making exceptional art and design with sustainable methods and techniques. So let’s get started with this exciting green art journey!
Last Sunday we introduced you to the pioneering online gallery for sustainable art and our partners for this feature Offcyclers, today we present the first artist to be featured- Bel & Bel from Barcelona Spain.
Over to founder of Offcyclers Diego Morodo as he introduces Bel & Bel’s green art to you!
Presenting the Green Art Project of the Month- BEL&BEL
First let me ask you, doesn’t it make you sad to see how all those beautiful classic vehicles end up being a box of steel in a scrap-yard? Don’t you wish something could be done to salvage them? Presenting our green art project of the month- Bel & Bel which does exactly that- rescue those classic masterpieces from scrap-yards and turns them into unique and functional one-of-a-kind design furniture pieces. They bring the grandeur of classic vehicles to your home so you can enjoy them forever.
Carles Bel and Jesus Bel, met in Art School. Their shared last name was not not the only happy coincidence! They shared a common passion for classic vehicles and this brought them together to start Bel & Bel, a design studio located in the outskirts of Barcelona with a mission to create bespoke pieces of design reusing old vehicle parts.
Their most famous creation, the Vespa Chair, has been greatly acclaimed worldwide. Using the front part of an old Vespa, this pair of intrepid designers has created an incredibly comfortable and customizable swivel chair that not only looks good, but does good. It was incorporated by the Piaggio Museum in Rome to be part of the permanent exhibition that commemorates the most famous scooter of all times. The headquarters at Google and the Virgin Hotels in Chicago also have their own Vespa chairs.
But Bel & Bel’s creations with the Vespa go beyond only the Vespa chair. Taking the side panels of the famous scooter, they have also created the Spider Scooter Chair, that is available in both individual and double seating options. The Spider is perfect to use as an ottoman or as a regular chair, you choose. And if you’re bored of your regular stools, imagine converting the seat of a scooter into a Vintage Bar stool, with a wheel used as a footrest.
So what about cars? Glad you asked because Bel & Bel also make some pretty cool furniture with old cars. Their Car Couch, was initially made with an old Seat 600, the Spanish cousin of the Fiat 500- yeah that small car that was EVERYWHERE in Europe during the 60’s. The fun part is that it can be made with any car you want, classics preferred, and even has functional lights that make it even more special.
Another of their great creations is the Desk Seat. Taking the front grill of an old classic vehicle, they turn it into a functional and elegant work desk. If this doesn’t get you to want to go to work I really don’t know what will!
As you can see, the green art creations of Bel & Bel are of the highest quality possible, and their workshop (apart from being strangely clean) is an ode to the classics. Incorporating modern technology with classic aesthetics, their pieces are both art and design, and always with a high level of functionality.
To learn more about Bel & Bel, check out the video on our Offcyclers website and learn a bit more of what they have to say about their story. You can also buy their pieces on the website.
We sure did enjoy the work of Bel & Bel immensely! Salvaging classic beauties like Vespa & Fiat 500 and turning them into one of its kind hand crafted furniture pieces is sure high craftsmanship and artistic vision! We’ve got our eyes on the Car Couch, which piece do you like? Don’t forget to comment below or write to us on contact@urbanmeisters.com. Diego Morodo & the UrbanMeisters team are waiting for your questions and comments.