At Villa Saporiti, Studio von Schoenebeck’s Meditations turns a mirror into an invitation to look beyond the image it reflects.
Presented in September as part of Lake Como Design Festival’s Contemporary Design Selection, the work draws on the private writings of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Its title points to the inward practice at the heart of those reflections: while events remain beyond our control, attention and judgement are ours to shape.
The object makes that idea physical. A folded, L-shaped mirror rests against an abstracted marble column, its polished surface gathering the historic room, the surrounding architecture and the person standing before it. Twelve flutes score the stone, a reference to the twelve books of Aurelius’ Meditations.
An inscription, “LOOK WITHIN”, is hidden from a direct view and becomes readable only in the mirror. The visitor must find the right position to see the words, encountering their own reflection in the process. The mirror therefore does more than return an image: it makes looking part of the work, shifting attention from appearance towards the act of seeing.
Rather than treating the boundary between self and surroundings as a fixed line, Meditations lets it move between object, room and observer. The marble remains tangible and the steel remains reflective; meaning gathers in the space between them. The work’s quiet instruction is completed by each person who pauses before it.
Based in Munich, Studio von Schoenebeck was founded in 2023 by designer Johannes von Schoenebeck and art historian and curator Magdalena Shterianova. Working across collectible design, sculpture and narrative, the studio uses material and cultural reference to explore memory and personal histories. Meditations was realised with the support of Carrara-based MKM Stone Factory.
Meditations, 2026
Materials: hand-finished stainless steel and marble; mirror 180 × 60 × 50 cm, marble element Ø 32 × 50 cm
Exhibition: Contemporary Design Selection, Lake Como Design Festival 2026; curated by Giovanna Massoni; Villa Saporiti, Como, 12–20 September 2026
Production support: MKM Stone Factory
Design: Studio von Schoenebeck / @vonschoenebeck
Photography: Alessandro Ruffini / @studio9010ch
