COUR presents Idiorhythms, a group show with work by Rich Aybar, Grace Atkinson, Lewis Kemmenoe and Noir Metal
Idiorhythms
Works by Rich Aybar, Grace Atkinson, Lewis Kemmenoe and Noir Metal
19 March - 19 April 2026
COUR, Antwerp
Opening: 19 March, 5pm-9pm
COUR is presenting Idiorhythms, an exhibition bringing together work by Rich Aybar, Grace Atkinson, Lewis Kemmenoe and Noir Metal. Each of these four artistic practices is grounded in a deeply material and elemental approach to making. Through sculpture, objects and experimental forms, the exhibition explores the distinct rhythms embedded within artistic production — from personal working methods to the physical qualities of materials themselves.
COUR is a platform dedicated to design-driven objects of singular value. Located on the historic Groenplaats square in the heart of Antwerp, COUR comprises a gallery housed within a residential flat, where various spaces are used for exhibitions, and a display window.
Through concept-driven exhibitions, experimental publications and a constantly evolving collection of design collectibles curated by Milan Henderickx, COUR shapes new design narratives that unfold across multiple periods, genres and media. By bridging past and present, COUR cultivates unexpected dialogues and seeds new concepts within the continuum of design history.
Within this context, Idiorhythms assembles four artistic practices whose core could be described as elemental. Each artist leverages the unique properties of a chosen material to achieve a kind of tactile virtuosity. At the same time, each rejects industrial production in favour of artistic autonomy and skill — the bedrock of a highly individual style.
The term idiorrhythmia originally referred to a ‘self-regulated’ form of monastic life, in which monks lived side by side yet followed their own internal schedules of work and worship. In communities such as Mount Athos, where idiorrhythmic monasticism continues to exist, the texture of life is neither fully communal nor entirely solitary. It is, as Roland Barthes described it, a form of coexistence without synchronisation: living together apart.
Applied to artistic production, rhythm acquires several meanings. It can describe the personal routines, rituals and research methods accumulated throughout an artist’s career. It may also refer to the cadence with which artists engage the commercial circuit — oscillating between periods of exposure and productive silence. Finally, rhythm manifests materially: in the bulk and grain of wood planks set in dynamic juxtaposition, in fur patterns hand-stitched onto cloth, in the waning translucence of urethane rubber, or in the chilled lustre of black steel.
Rather than attempting to align these rhythms, Idiorhythms highlights the luxuriant tone of their entanglement and resonance. The exhibition reveals the quiet poetry that emerges when these distinct artistic tempos coexist — autonomous yet subtly attuned.
Artists
- Rich Aybar
Rich Aybar is an American artist whose practice explores the sculptural potential of industrial materials, with a particular focus on urethane rubber. Through processes of casting, stacking and manipulation, he creates works that oscillate between control and degradation, foregrounding qualities such as translucency, weight and surface tension. Aybar previously worked in the fashion industry, including for Rick Owens, an experience that continues to inform his sensitivity to material and form. His current practice operates at the intersection of art, design and experimentation, with a strong emphasis on physical presence and process.
- Grace Atkinson
Grace Atkinson’s practice is rooted in textile and craft, with a focus on labor-intensive, hand-stitched compositions combining fur and fabric. Built through repetitive and time-intensive processes, her works assemble fragments into complex, rhythmic surfaces. By reinterpreting traditional techniques within a contemporary context, Atkinson explores themes of tactility, corporeality and labour. Her works exist between textile, sculpture and surface.
- Lewis Kemmenoe
Lewis Kemmenoe is a British artist working at the intersection of sculpture and furniture. His practice centres on solid wood, which he manipulates to emphasise structure, grain and mass. Through the assembly of blocks, planks and segments, he creates bold, architectural compositions in which rhythm and tension are integral. His work subtly references both modernist sculpture and traditional woodworking, while maintaining a direct and materially honest presence.
- Noir Metal
Noir Metal is a design and fabrication practice dedicated to steel as a primary material. Through processes such as cutting, welding and finishing, the studio produces objects defined by sharp lines, precise proportions and a restrained aesthetic. Their work reveals the nuanced qualities of steel — from reflection to surface texture — transforming an industrial material into a vehicle for refined expression.
Idiorhythms
Works by Rich Aybar, Grace Atkinson, Lewis Kemmenoe and Noir Metal
19 March - 19 April 2026
COUR, Antwerp
Opening: 19 March, 5pm-9pm
Groenplaats 42, 2000 Antwerp
Images (download here - credit: Ange Jules)
About COUR
COUR represents design-driven objects of singular value. Located on the historic Groenplaats in downtown Antwerp, the space combines a residential showroom, an outdoor exhibition platform and a vitrine. Through curated exhibitions, experimental publications and a continually evolving collection of collectible design assembled by Milan Henderickx, COUR explores new design narratives that span periods, genres and media. By situating contemporary practices in dialogue with historical references, COUR fosters an expanded understanding of design and its place within cultural history.
