steel chairs inspired by sea monsters scylla & charybdis shine in metallic hues at alcova miami

scylla & charybdis steel chairs on view at alcova miami

Creative studios Astronauts and SERAPIS pair up to produce the steel chairs Scylla & Charybdis, on view at Alcova Miami between December 2nd and 8th, 2024 and during Miami Art and Design Week. Inspired by the Greek sea monsters of the same name, the chairs are crafted from steel in rigid unibody structures.

The two Athens-based collectives shape the ends of the chair design with pointed tips until they resemble crab claws. It’s through these sharp ends that the upholstery of SERAPIS, made of jacquard-woven cotton fabric, is pinned down onto the seat, acting as the cushion.

all photos by George Nalbadis, courtesy of Astronauts and SERAPIS

Sea-monster-inspired seats by Astronauts and SERAPIS

Astronauts and SERAPIS may have different yet similar backgrounds. The former is a creative studio founded by Danae Dasyra and Joe Bradford, while the latter is a hybrid art, design, and fashion collective created by members and artists Krini Dimopoulou, Dimitra Dimopoulou, and Manolis D. Lemos. During Miami Art and Design Week, they team up and draw the inspiration of Scylla & Charybdis from the same well: Greek mythology. The two collectives bring in their respective expertise to realize the sea-monster-like steel chairs.  Astronauts designs and molds sheets of thin steel into the bases of the seats using the hydroforming technique. SERAPIS introduces their bespoke colorways ‘rust’ into the upholstery and the metallic look of the object. 

After forging the legs from steel, the duo finishes the steel chairs with custom translucent powder coating. This allows for the heat blemish during the welding process to naturally come to the surface, hence the ombré of the seats. The pointed tips of the legs, which make Scylla & Charybdis appear as if they were hovering, complete the design of the stools. At Alcova Miami, Astronauts and SERAPIS also showcase their other pieces, including sea anemones-inspired vases; their new Sao mobile sculpture, made from aluminum and stainless steel; and a hanging silk named Ever Scrapping (Sharjah Yard), which comes with a printed image of a scrap yard in Sharjah .

Charybdis chair crafted from steel, on view at Alcova Miami

rear view of the Charybdis chair

the legs are forged from unibody structure

detailed view of the leg

the upholstery of SERAPIS is made of jacquard-woven cotton fabric