General Presentation of the Artists

In her design practice, Inès Bressand is interested in humble and everyday materials, such as straw, which she transforms using manual processes requiring very few tools. Her approach is rooted in close collaboration with craftspeople.

Rémi Marilleau is an upholsterer who works with architects on the textile aspects of their projects. Alongside this, his involvement with the Laboratoire d’Arts Textiles (Textile Arts Laboratory), based in the Creuse region, allows him to maintain a space for experimentation and research within his practice. This is exemplified by the Laine Voisines project, supported in 2024 by the DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which explores the valorisation of wool from the Lachaux farm (Creuse) through the medium of felt.

Research Project at the Foundation

During their residency at Fondation Martell, Inès and Rémi combined their respective areas of expertise in a research project focused on traditional mattress-making techniques, using wool produced by the local supply chain and drawing on know-how rooted in the artisanal histories of Périgord and the Charente region. These techniques have traditionally been employed in the manufacture of wool bedding products. By moving beyond the strict context of mattress-making, they seek to broaden the range of possible applications and experiment with new uses, developing ways of assembling wool and creating other types of objects.

Interim Results from the Residency

The formal exploration of this craft practice was at the heart of their research. They mapped out its defining characteristics by cataloguing the gestures, tools and materials that shape its identity. They produced a wide range of samples, from the most unstructured and amorphous forms to the most rigid and highly structured. They also developed several sculptural objects that showcase different techniques of constraint, notably through the use of tufting, a method of shaping material into twisted volumes and organic forms by applying controlled tension.

Place within the Labo Almanach

The wool sector in the Périgord region is currently experiencing a revival that is attracting designers for several reasons: the need to recover skills that have been weakened by the modern era, which saw the disappearance of entire areas of artisanal production; the particular economy of wool as a by-product that remains undervalued within sheep farming; and the unique qualities of wool in terms of texture, volume and warmth.

The designers’ work illustrates a particular form of resilience found in research that combines shaping techniques, craftsmanship, an understanding of production structures and their histories, and the identification of stakeholders and partners. Through this process, a genuine landscape of research and experimentation takes shape.

Resources Involved

• Laine et Compagnie, Châteaux-Chervix (Haute-Vienne)

KEYWORDS: wool / mattress-making / craftsmanship / know-how / experimentation / tufting / local supply chain / resilience / prototype