Back to working with your hands

A conversation between neighbours, and a common way of doing things, of thinking and of feeling manual work.

That was how, during a casual chat, the Mallorcan sculptor Alejandro Dumon and the Italian architect Nicoletta Mantoan planted the roots of what would later become the 2monos design studio, born in a small garage in the heart of the Mallorcan countryside, an inspirational place in which to bring delicate, long-lasting objects to life using sustainable, timeless materials.

As a child, Dumon loved drawing and dismantling toys; he was intrigued by the mechanisms of objects, and wanted to see how things worked. Before embarking on this project, he had a small workshop where he created sculptures and gave classes; Mantoan, for her part, left her native Italy and settled in Mallorca. On the island she opened her architecture studio and started to engage with suppliers for her projects.

“We met by coincidence – we lived next door to each other,” says Dumon. “One day Nicoletta told me she had a project that she needed a lot of ironwork for. We made some tables, but straight away, we realised that it was more than just an architect ordering some work from an artisan. We had a common design proposal, a similar way of thinking of things. So at first I was her supplier, and then we became partners.”

Lifelong objects, sculptures with poetic and irregular lines, conceptual, practical furniture. Lines of work that guide the project the two came up with 10 years ago, dreaming of being able to exhibit their works at Milan’s Salone del Mobile some day. 

Dumon smiles, with the look of someone who knows things are on the right track. Their latest collection is inspired by the circle and the curve. A set of table, chairs and lamps, coatstand and stool. Pure iron and design. “Every project is personalised. We have no stock. We have been to the London show, but in April we will present this prototype in Milan, where we once dreamed we would be.”

“The name 2monos (literally, ‘2 monkeys’ but also ‘2 overalls’) is a play on words. The idea is to take a step backwards in order to evolve. To go back to working with your hands, to craftsmanship, thinking of the future. And when we were in our first workshop, our two work overalls would be hanging beside one another on the door”, says Dumon.

Far from being based on routine tasks, the daily dynamics are changing and unexpected. Dumon spends part of his time in the studio, on the telephone; sometimes he draws, and he also thinks of solutions and in the workshop he develops orders. Nicoletta, on the other hand, works with clients, meeting them and interpreting their needs. There are times when they both focus on the workshop, in particular to design sculptures with irregular geometries in three dimensions.

In addition to continuing with this line of work, 2monos develops the search for a language with challenges put to them by several different architecture studios, like Antón Chacártegui’s Negre Studio.

“We really like working with him. It’s true that we don’t stay on the safe side, but it is a pleasure to develop ideas. The last thing we did was a railing for some stairs without any joints or screws to hold it in place visible. We are inspired to do new things all the time.”