Hallway piece in stainless steel, hand-finished marble, mirror
MEDITATIONS
supported by MKM Stone Factory
2026
Drawing on the stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, MEDITATIONS reconsiders the notion of the boundary as an active condition rather than a fixed line.
For Aurelius, freedom was never the absence of structure, but the ability to position oneself within it — to maintain sovereignty over one’s own judgments despite external constraints. The boundary, in this sense, becomes a site of negotiation: between the individual and the system, between inner autonomy and external order.
This position resonates with particular urgency today. Contemporary societies often understand boundaries as divisions — lines that separate, restrict, or exclude. Yet increasingly, they operate as interfaces: shaping perception, attention, and behaviour.
Against this backdrop, MEDITATIONS approaches the boundary not as a limit to overcome, but as a threshold to inhabit — a space in which meaning is continuously formed.
Crafted from aluminium and marble, MEDITATIONS translates the concept of the boundary into form. An L-shaped aluminium mirror is held by an abstracted marble column that alludes to architecture, law, and systems of order. The work is structured as a relationship between two conditions: reflection and mass, image and matter.
The mirror introduces a shifting, immaterial layer, while the marble column asserts weight, permanence, and structure. Positioned together, they establish a boundary condition — not as separation, but as interaction.
The column is articulated with twelve flutes, referencing the twelve books of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. This correspondence establishes a parallel between text and object: a philosophical structure translated into physical form.
An engraved sentence by Aurelius — “WITHIN IS THE FOUNTAIN OF GOOD, AND IT WILL EVER BUBBLE UP, IF THOU WILT EVER DIG” — is inscribed into the marble surface. While the mirror reflects the viewer’s image, the inscription addresses conduct, creating a dialogue between visual and ethical reflection.
In this encounter, the viewer becomes part of the work.
Standing before the mirror, their reflection occupies the threshold between image and object, presence and projection. The boundary is no longer fixed within the object itself, but emerges in the act of perception.
The viewer completes the structure, introducing a symbolic thirteenth chapter. The philosophical text, historically concerned with the discipline of one’s own judgments, is extended into the present moment.
MEDITATIONS thus frames the boundary as relational — not a line that separates, but a condition that connects. It is within this space that meaning, awareness, and responsibility take form.
A MANUAL FOR INNER BOUNDARIES
Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (c. 170–180 CE) is a collection of private reflections written during years of war and political responsibility. Rather than a philosophical treatise, the text is a personal exercise in discipline: a practice of navigating one’s thoughts, emotions, and actions within a world defined by limits.
For Aurelius, the boundary is not something external to be overcome, but something internal to be understood. It is within these limits — between duty and desire, control and uncertainty, self and society — that a form of sovereignty emerges.
Meditations proposes the boundary not as restriction, but as a condition of awareness: a space in which perception, judgment, and responsibility take shape.
STUDIO VON SCHOENEBECK is a Munich-based creative collaboration between designer Johannes Von Schoenebeck and art historian Magdalena Shterianova.
With backgrounds in design, fine art, and film, the duo merges conceptual thinking with hands-on making.
Magdalena, who comes from a film family in Moscow, studied art history at Ludwig Maximilian University and directed several short films before turning her focus to photography, curatorial practices, and design. Johannes von Schoenebeck holds a master’s in design products from the Royal College of Art in London and trained as a furniture maker in Munich.
Working across collectible design and functional art pieces the studio explores themes of memory, emotion, and cultural heritage. Their practice is deeply narrative and often poetic—each piece is an invitation into a personal yet universal story.
MKM Stone Factory is an artisan workshop based in Carrara, Italy, founded in 2017 by three partners with extensive experience in the natural stone industry.
Located in the heart of the world's most renowned marble district, MKM Stone Factory specialises in the production of bespoke furniture, sculptures, architectural elements and design objects in natural stone. By combining traditional craftsmanship with modern manufacturing techniques, the company collaborates with designers, architects and artists to transform their ideas into high-quality marble creations.
Attention to detail, technical expertise and a constant commitment to innovation make MKM Stone Factory a trusted partner for contemporary design projects, while preserving the timeless heritage of Carrara marble.