Sculptural functionality

Sculptural work “Totem Mortem” by Basque designer Martín Azúa is composed of a concave surface and three walnut clubs which can be stacked on a veined marble base generating a totem. “I am interested in the ambivalence of an object which, when not used, has a second function close to sculpture”, says Martín Azúa. The mortar is an instrument which, in variations, appears in every culture. In Mediterranean cooking the “picada” technique (minced or ground food) is essential for a wide number of dishes. But the mortar is not only used in the kitchen, also in laboratories or in the artistic field to grind pigments.

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