STEREOGRAM

Creative director Thibault Van Renne had the idea of embedding a hidden stereogram in one of his new creations. This relies on stereoscopy: a visual technique that produces a hidden 3D effect, visible only when the viewer looks at a flat image in precisely the right way. A world first, never before achieved.

For this project Thibault Van Renne collaborated with a company based in the United States, a specialist in stereograms for promotional material, printed media, and fabric. They had never applied the technique to a rug design, let alone a handmade carpet. The first challenge: how to translate the computer-generated stereogram into a weavable template without losing the 3D effect. The second: Thibault chose to embed the stereogram within an existing carpet design of his own, rather than using a standard blurred image as the base. This made the design phase, the execution, and the production considerably more demanding.

One thing was certain: the carpet would have to be knotted exactly as specified in the pixel-precise design template, with every pixel corresponding to one knot in the finished piece. A single incorrect knot would compromise the stereogram entirely. After one year of weaving (for a piece of just 4×4 feet) and many sleepless nights, the piece came off the loom. After washing and shearing, the result was clear: the mission had succeeded.

Thibault Van Renne had achieved a 4th-dimension effect for the first time ever in a handmade carpet, or indeed any carpet, in the world. The viewer sees virtual depth: some elements of the design advance toward the eye, others recede. An extraordinary achievement, and a defining moment in the Thibault Van Renne legacy. The piece was nominated for "Best Innovation" at the international carpet design awards in Hannover, Germany, in 2016, and continues to astonish carpet connoisseurs and art specialists worldwide.

This is a unique piece produced once. Its design intricacy makes it impossible to copy, protecting the value held by its owner. This follows the Thibault Van Renne philosophy: pushing the boundaries of the 2D carpet template and adding dimensions visible in the finished work. Balanced on the line between art and functional object, it sets Thibault Van Renne apart as a designer brand producing unique art pieces.