The Magistral Cabinet takes the quills from The Porcupine Cabinet to the extreme. Like the protective layer of a chestnut, Magistral Cabinet incorporates an exterior layer of 80,000 sharpened wooden dowels, placed by hand one at a time until the cabinet is ready to symbolically protect the belongings of its owner. A set of concealed doors slides open to reveal its inner mechanisms and each of its many compartments.

The sculptural cabinet continues the artist’s investigation into the boundaries between functionality and symbolism, walking the fine line between art and design. The obsessive and labor-intensive process required a team of 12 woodworkers, who spent a total of six weeks hammering each dowel into the previously carved wooden structure. The long and tedious process of installing the spikes is reflected in the cabinet’s strong imposing presence, which invites the viewer to lose his or her sight in the thousands of points.