Béton Brut Chess Set

The Béton Brut Chess Set is cast in concrete, each piece is individually hand-set and left “raw”. Eschewing the shape of typical chess pieces, and taking inspiration from Josef Hartwig’s 1924 Bauhaus set, the form of the Béton Brut Chess Set pieces instead reflect their movements. In this set, the king and pawns have the same top alluding to their moving one square at a time; the bishops are asymmetric square pyramids and the rooks are cuboids connoting, respectively, their diagonal and rectilinear movements; the queen’s form is a combination of the bishop’s and rook’s as it can move in both these ways; and the form of the knights reflects their leaping L-shaped movement.

The set is created as a counterpoint to the tendency now for rapid games: materiality and form are intentionally fragile for studied, slow play.

by folosophy

limited edition of 64, hand-made to order

Pieces: white/ordinary type II Portland cement; aggregate; water. 1"x1"x1.5" – 1"x1"x3.5"
Board: white/ordinary type II Portland cement; aggregate; water. 1"x14"x14"

$1600