Objects in ceramic, wood ash glaze, oak and linen
Time Out — Objects at the Threshold
2026
Aline Melaet presents two works from the Time Out project that explore the boundary not as a line of separation, but as a lived and perceptual condition — a space where transitions occur between material, gesture, and presence — reimagining the liminal as a shared space of negotiation (con-finis).
At the core of the proposal is a new, unique bell piece developed for the occasion, following Rumble I (2026), created in collaboration with Raphaëlle Bosmans (wooden handle) and now part of a private collection. This new iteration continues the exploration of the object as a sonic threshold. Activated through a minimal gesture, it produces a subtle resonance that exists at the edge of perception. The sound unfolds in time, marking a passage between silence and attention. This moment of activation recalls a suspended instant, just before or just after impact, where awareness intensifies. The object defines a space without enclosing it, creating an immaterial boundary that invites the viewer to shift from passive observation to embodied presence.
In contrast, the ceramic vessel 60" engages the boundary of the body. Inspired by the historical crachoir, the piece is recontextualised as an ambiguous interface oscillating between containment and release, intimacy and exposure. Developed alongside a storage box inspired by Japanese tomobako, the work extends into a collaborative dimension, integrating wood elements by Raphaëlle Bosmans and a textile link by Amandine Brun Sauvant. Together, these components introduce gestures of care, storage, and activation, framing the object as something to be handled, revealed, and reactivated over time.
The works are rooted in a material-led process combining experimental clay bodies and self-formulated wood-ash glazes. Surfaces reveal traces of transformation — flows, textures, and burnt edges that mark the meeting point between control and unpredictability. These material transitions can be understood as sites of impact, where intention encounters the agency of matter, and where form emerges through tension.
Within the broader framework of Time Out, a project that reflects on pause as a response to contemporary acceleration, these works approach the boundary as a moment of suspension. Like the interval between rounds, this pause is not inactive but charged — a space of recalibration, attention, and potential.
By foregrounding slowness, precision, and embodied perception, the project proposes the boundary as a site of encounter: a threshold where object, body, and environment meet, and where new forms of awareness can emerge.
Based in Brussels, Aline Melaet is an artist, ceramicist, curator, and designer whose practice explores the threshold between functional craft and collectible sculpture. A graduate of ENSAV La Cambre and a member of BeCraft, she draws on a background in typographic design and curatorial practice to develop a spatial and material-driven approach to object-making.
Her work is rooted in the “Time Out” philosophy—a response to hyper-accelerated modes of living through slowness, attention, and sensory presence. Combining custom clay bodies with self-produced wood-ash glazes, she creates surfaces shaped by both control and unpredictability, where traces of transformation remain visible.
Recently presented at Collectible Brussels, her practice expands toward hybrid forms incorporating sound and cast elements, reactivating historical references through a contemporary lens. Her objects invite long-term engagement, positioning themselves at the intersection of use, ritual, and poetic presence.