Émile Souply

Émile Souply (Charleroi 1933-Brussels 2013) was a silversmith by training, and his interests in the field of the visual arts were diverse. Above all, he valued artworks as objects for reflection. 
Souply was constantly asking questions. What was the significance of art in the 20th century? What links still existed between artists and the living community?
Throughout his career, Émile Souply’s output moved unceasingly between society, silversmithing, designer furniture, jewellery, sculpture, architecture and teaching. 
In 1973 Émile Souply designed a jewel that was regarded as of seminal importance by his peers. It was entitled Mercedes, and he said of it, ‘It was a luxury to which I treated myself.’
What do you think? Is it a jewel? A small sculpture? A piece of street furniture or an act of nose-thumbing – a joke at the expense of conventional art?