When a young Charles Kaisin overstayed at a friend’s house, he decided to treat his hosts to a unique experiential dinner. He placed a soprano from the Royal Opera of La Monnaie in Brussels in a room with a big tree in the middle and birds flying freely around, a Michelin-starred chef, and one server for every two people, turning a thank-you dinner into a surrealist experience for his guests. That is the universe of Charles Kaisin…
Kaisin is an artist who has found his creative drive and inspiration in origami, food, and encounters with others. After studying architecture, he took the principles of design and geometry and mixed them with the ancient and introspective practice of origami. This combination of practices and cultures resulted in monumental constructions that adorned major commercial centers and brand events around the world. Taking the dove as a symbol, he has created a universe as simple as paper but as beautiful as art.
He explores the artistry behind crafting one-of-a-kind experiences, helping people discover universes they didn’t even know existed. As the creator of scenography out of origami and the Surrealist dinners, his greatest talent lies in his ability to create art from a piece of paper and an experience from an idea. Charles Kaisin spoke to House of Solo about his artistic practice, his conception of art, and the human connection that influences his work.
C.B.: You work with origami, an art form that relies on folding techniques to transform paper into more complex patterns. How did you decide to use origami as an artistic medium to create your universe?
C.K.: So, first of all, my background is in architecture; I studied architecture. Since I was a child, I’ve always loved geometry; I find it fascinating. After my architecture studies, I worked in design in London and Japan. While I was in Japan, at the Kedaimaï University of the Arts – located on the outskirts of Kyoto – I discovered and delved into everything related to origami. Origami means “folding” and “paper.” As you mentioned, it’s truly an ancient technique. Traces of origami can already be found in engravings, paintings, and pictorial works dating back to the 17th century.
This art has several dimensions. First, it teaches a child to focus. Then, it develops dexterity, manipulation, and hand agility. Third, it requires great precision. Finally, it embodies a certain humility: by folding a simple sheet of paper, one can create a three-dimensional object. This truly reflects the Japanese spirit, which values the idea of creating something meaningful from almost nothing. A simple sheet of paper can transform into a work of art. These are the four main reasons that drew me to this art. Afterward, I received various commissions. For example, I was asked to create display windows. I made several windows for Hermès, and we have also designed windows for other companies.
While working on these projects, a question arose: how can we make this element more monumental? So, we began repeating origami shapes to create large structures, truly monumental ones. We’ve done this type of project in a mall in Chile, here in Brussels, at Printemps in Paris, and we’re currently working on a project in New York. We also designed an installation for a mall in Switzerland, in Zurich, called Eglat. Today, we mainly receive commissions for monumental works made of thousands of small elements. Often, it’s the bird, a recurring motif in our work.
Unfortunately, current events bring us some themes through all the conflicts. So, I have this idea of conveying a message of peace and freedom, symbolized by the dove. As such, the large structures we create are often made up of many small elements, each of which is a dove.
C.B.: Origami requires, as you mentioned, great concentration, time, precision, and quite delicate manual work. Do you see it as a somewhat introspective practice, one that also allows you to learn more about yourself during the process of creating your installations?
C.K.: Of course, when you’re doing repetitive work, there’s a mandala-like aspect, a sort of, meditative side to it. Then, I’m fortunate to travel a lot for work. And during these trips, I always make sure to take a moment to pause, reflect, and gain some perspective.
Since we carry out many projects abroad and travel a lot, I believe it’s essential to take this step back. Otherwise, we’d constantly have “our heads in the grindstone, if you know what I mean.
C.B.: So, you trained in Japan, but you’re Belgian, is that correct?
C.K.: Yes, I first studied architecture in Brussels at Saint-Luc. Then, I worked with Jean Nouvel, a French architect. After that, I worked with an English sculptor, Tönkrag, based in Germany. He explores many different materials. He lives near the Ruhr, in the Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Wuppertal area. Later on, I joined Ron Arad’s studio, an Israeli designer. With Ron, I worked in London at the Royal College of Art.
C.B.: And how do you manage to integrate the Japanese culture with your own Belgian culture, while bringing in this global aspect, enriched by your experiences around the world, your training in England and other countries?
C.K.: In the creative process I observe a lot. The visual element is very present in my work. I absorb a great amount of information through travels, encounters, and exhibitions. I absolutely love contemporary art. For example, a few days ago in Cape Town, I visited the South African National Gallery. Upon returning to Paris, I went to see the Arte Povera exhibition at the Bourse du Commerce. As soon as we find ourselves in a new place, we explore. We regularly visit London, a city we love. There, we enjoy discovering new art.
At the same time, I pay particular attention to craftsmanship and techniques. I enjoy understanding how leather is worked, fabrics are woven, porcelain and ceramics are shaped, glass is blown, or embroidery is done. Craftsmanship is a very rich source of inspiration. Lastly, as I mentioned, I have quite a developed visual memory. I am constantly observing. And sometimes, my references can be more literary, such as mythological readings, legends, philosophies, or fairy tales. These influences have a real impact on my thinking and the execution of my projects.
C.B.: Your work combines elements of architecture, design, and art in all your installations. How do you manage to integrate these different disciplines into a single creation?
C.K.: I combine different aspects during dinners: The first is what we call “product design,” where we prepare the launch of products, this is the first aspect of our work. The second aspect involves all the origami installations we discussed. We create them in many places around the world. For example, in Dubai, we designed a decoration for the Mandarin Oriental, and recently, we created a beautiful cone-shaped Christmas tree for the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva. We travel a lot for these projects.
The third aspect is what I call “surreal dinners.” It’s not so much a reference to the surrealist movement, although I am a big admirer of it. For me, the idea of a surreal dinner is primarily an experience of surprise, astonishment, and wonder. The goal is to create a 360-degree experience, where every element is custom-designed in an extraordinary setting.
Often, with a Michelin-starred chef or a gastronomic chef. Of course, I have nothing against a good hamburger and fries, but here, the idea is to offer food that elevates the experience, that surprises, both in textures and flavors, and scents. The goal is to stimulate all five senses and provide an immersive experience at every level.
C.B.: Let’s talk about this surreal dinner, which I find to be a truly fascinating concept. I’ve seen a few photos and videos, and it looks really cool. I’d love to know how you came up with the idea for this type of event. How did the concept originate for you? Tell me a bit about the story behind the surreal dinner.
C.K.: The surreal dinner was born from a personal experience. When I was studying, I worked in Jean Nouvel’s architecture office in Paris. One weekend, I went to visit some friends and ended up staying much longer than expected. They are incredible people who supported me a lot. So, 16 years ago, I organized a dinner to thank them. This family is the Guerrand-Hermès family, with Xavier Hubert, one of the twins.
Thanks to them, I had the opportunity to experience many things, both culturally and philosophically, as well as in terms of values. I learned a great deal about the relationship with luxury, objects, and the attention given to the objects and their finishes. It was a valuable lesson for me.
I organized this dinner to thank them, just as I would host dinners to thank friends who had been very kind to me. This dinner was special: there was one server for every two people, around a table made of trees, at the house. This table still exists, and I’m sitting at it right now. Each time a guest entered the dining room, a bird, like a parakeet, would fly freely and land on a tree branch.
There was also a singer from the Opera, a soprano from the Royal Opera of La Monnaie in Brussels, who began to perform the Bacchanals by Villa Lobos. It was very striking, as the birds flew around her, landing on the branches, while the guests gradually entered the room. We had set up curtains to give the birds space, as it was a vast environment for them, allowing them to fly freely.
The table still exists; it measures 10 meters in length and can seat 34 guests. We often have large gatherings like this to host our guests or support projects. It’s a practice we regularly follow. This is where these dinners originated, which, through word of mouth, evolved into both private and corporate events. Private events could be for a wedding, a birthday, and so on. However, corporate events are occasions where a brand wants to present a new product. For example, we organized an event for Porsche in Seoul for the launch of the new Panamera, as well as a launch for a Hermès fragrance.
We have also worked in the field of high jewelry for houses like the Bogossian family, Piaget, and Cartier. Thus, we elevate a product for a brand by drawing inspiration from its DNA, its roots, and its history, while projecting it into the future through a staging that tells a story.
C.B.: So, for each brand, you create and develop a dinner around these products?
C.K.: Exactly, that’s right. Each time, it’s tailor-made. We create a project to highlight a brand, a project, or a product.
C.B.: Really interesting. Normally, we think that a successful dinner or culinary experience boils down to a good dish with good service, and that’s enough to create a great experience. But you’ve elevated it with the art of surrealist dinners. For you, what makes art and gastronomy complementary?
C.K.: So, first of all, I like this idea that we find, for example, at the Bauhaus, but also with surrealism and the Dada movement: there are no barriers between artistic disciplines. It goes back to the end of the 19th century, when art teachers really started saying that these boundaries needed to be removed. I’m thinking, for example, of Jean [and his wife] Tauber Arp, who was a teacher and gave textile courses. From the very beginning, she said that a painting could easily become a textile, a stained-glass window, or even porcelain. It was really about creating something entirely outside the box, outside of conventions.
The second thing is that I really enjoy the interdisciplinary aspect, where disciplines merge, whether it’s art, painting, photography, sculpture. I appreciate this idea where, of course, each discipline maintains its own identity, but they can also blend together to reveal something new. And for us, when we create a stage, it’s music, sound, touch, smells through flowers on the table, the aromas of the dishes, the flavors, the textures.
So, once again, it’s really about enhancing the five senses and, through the message we want to share, the spirit of a family, or the promotion of a brand through a new product, we bring these disciplines together to align them and create a coherent thread that matches the message the brand wants to convey, its story, and its vision for the future.
C.B.: Each project requires a lot of inspiration and preparation. How do you begin these creative processes before starting a project?
C.K.: So, we first receive a lot, a lot of requests. When a company comes to us, we listen to them, and then we see if it’s a good fit. Often, when people are questioning and reaching out to us, it’s because they want to create something different. That’s a positive sign. Then, we listen to a briefing. Based on this briefing, we create a project. The briefing could be a text, or often several conversations or video calls to understand what you want to share with us. After that, we create a storyboard, which is really a set of drawings expressing what we’re going to create for you.
Then, as soon as we get the green light, we have a conversation with the client. They might say, “Oh yes, I like this,” or ask if we can refine certain elements, or sometimes, they approve everything right away. At that point, we launch the production: we create the costumes, the accessories, and we organize everything like a theater or opera production. We make costumes, they’re not just disguises, but pieces with buttons, satin ribbons, beautiful hats… We make sure to work with quality materials and highlight craftsmanship. We have workshops, some of which are in Belgium, and we place great importance on this idea of savoir-faire.
C.B.: It’s your job, so there is of course a professional, even financial, purpose, but do you still have fun with your work?
C.K.: Yes, because the day I get bored, I’ll do something else. What’s really interesting for me is that when a company comes to us to organize a dinner, it’s not “all or nothing,” but rather, to understand, we often meet with the CEO or the general director. We visit the venue, discover the products, and gain access to a lot of information. Of course, we keep everything confidential, but what I mean is that we try to understand as much as possible: what is the company, the brand, their values, the new projects coming out, and the development of the products. All of this allows us to incorporate these elements into the scenography through an immersive and unique experience that people will remember for the rest of their lives.
C.B.: Storytelling is a fundamental part of your work. How do you keep this creativity alive? How do you inspire yourself every day and seek to be constantly inspired by new things, learning new things?
C.K.: So, there are two things. An idea of Honoré de Balzac during the 19th century was that: ‘a mind that is not occupied is a mind in excess,’ and I think we’re fortunate to have access to so many things: art, books, performances, theater, opera, street shows, exhibitions, cinema. It’s a privilege, and I value that.
The second thing is that I try, humbly, to maintain that childlike soul, when I discover new things. And for me, it’s very important to feel that “wow,” like the first time you ride a bike, when you find your balance and think, “Wow, this is a fascinating experience. I’m on an object that moves, without a motor, and it’s me who’s making this movement happen.” It’s a bit like learning to ride a bike. I think it’s essential to recapture those first experiences, those moments when you’re in awe, like when you’re holding 20 colorful balloons in your hands. It’s something that, for me, remains very important: keeping that childlike perspective.
C.B.: You also have a collection of products for the home and, as you said, inspiration is often found when we go out, in nature, in a museum, or through encounters with other people. So, on the contrary, for you, what is the importance of these moments at home, of the interior space?
C.K.: At home, I find that I really enjoy the fact that we can make objects our own. What I mean by that is that I appreciate how, with sometimes very simple elements, we can quickly create a stage. For example, I buy beautiful tree branches, we have small vases, and we can create a setup simply by choosing 20 tree branches placed on a table, with a small origami hanging from them.
So, I enjoy the fact of creating an atmosphere. Secondly, I appreciate the comfort, the cocoon-like feeling, but also how it becomes something warm that envelops the guests. I’m very sensitive to scents, and I believe you can do so much with smells.
And so, that’s something that stimulates me a lot as well. I think that for the art of home, it’s really a matter of vision. You can create a table with completely different glasses, but with the same color, a touch of blue, which you can find in flea markets, second-hand shops, small stores, vintage shops.
So, you can really create beautiful tables with just a few things, but you have to look for something that ties them together. For example, you can have glasses that may be different in size and shape, but have the same color. There could be a touch of blue or green, which creates an element that connects them.
Having candles on the table is very beautiful; it’s always something very warm, lighting the table at night with candles. And I also love the idea of creating long tables. As they used to say, “banquet table” or “imperial,” it’s something very stimulating. So, these are all the elements that come into play.
I think it’s lovely to have a beautiful table, with a nice napkin, simply adorned with a pretty ribbon or satin bow. The act of untying the bow, unfolding the napkin, creates a ritual. That’s another aspect, the ritual aspect, which I find interesting.
C.B.: Is there an experience you’ve had that you found more surprising, or more different, during a surrealist dinner?
C.K.: Every time, really, every time, we do amazing things. For example, we organized a dinner in Italy, and Katy Perry came to sing, accompanied by a symphonic orchestra. We also held an event for a company celebrating its 250th anniversary, and for the occasion, a soprano sang in a warehouse over 25 meters high. We had her sing 20 meters up, on a ramp covered with a dress made of over 800 square meters of fabric. She was performing Dvořák’s Rusalka, a piece with a grand crescendo. As the crescendo reached its peak, she slowly stood up, and at that moment, a grand piano suspended from the ceiling began to descend, moving through the darkness. The soprano rose, and the piano remained invisible until it reached its position, creating an impressive contrast between the two elements.
And then we see it descend, we light it up, and she rises, and they meet face to face. This staging was truly very powerful, very spectacular, and it worked really well. We do rehearsals, calculate everything with engineers, perform all the necessary tests, of course, and work a lot to make sure everything is perfect. That was truly spectacular.
We also organized an event at the Opéra Garnier in Paris, where we held a magnificent dinner. We also did it once in a beautiful forest, where little fireflies, or rather small diodes and LEDs, were suspended all around, creating a magical effect. There are many projects like that. Each time, for us, the goal is to go as far as possible, to push the limits of creativity, while of course staying in line with the client’s requests. But the idea is always to push creativity as far as we can.
C.B.: In these dinners, there are many people who have traveled a lot and had many different experiences. Is it always a matter for you to figure out how to surprise all these people, how to manage to astonish them?
C.K.: It’s my job, it involves a lot of research and questioning. I’d say it’s about working hard, sketching, and seeing what’s most relevant, most precise, and poetic in a positive way. It’s about surprising, astonishing, and that’s our work every time. We work by searching, thinking: “Hmm, this has already been seen, we’ve done it before, so let’s try something else.” It’s a lot of work, questioning, and reflection to achieve that.
