A year dedicated to water. This element was at the heart of two important creations in 2025 by Daniel Arsham, an American artist and designer who continues to push the boundaries between art, design and innovation.
The Astor 36 by Daniel Arsham
The first creation looks to the sea. The collaboration with Bellini Yacht has resulted in the Astor 36 by Daniel Arsham, a limited edition of the famous walkaround from the Lombardy-based shipyard, already known for projects that combine art and boating. In the past, it has been involved in initiatives such as Fabian Oefner’s “Disintegrating Riva” and Romero Britto’s Riva Aquarama “Britto X Bellini”.
In this new chapter, Arsham’s hand is evident in the colour choices: Arsham Green enters the scene alongside shades of grey and black, appearing on the hull line, console profiles, hard top and on-board furnishings.
Details and customisations
The limited edition immediately declares its identity: redesigned side air intakes with the artist’s logo, a hard top signed by Arsham Studio and smoke-coloured faux teak surfaces decorated with his monogram.
At the stern, the dry-feel fabric sun deck is embellished with a customised plaque, while the driver’s seats feature embroidery that echoes the artist’s visual language. The steering console stands out for its customised steering wheel and SIMRAD Chartplotter GPS 15 Ultra Wide navigation system with an interface developed by Arsham together with Mònade Studio.
The interiors complete the work with customised fabrics and colour schemes and two elements from the Kohler x Daniel Arsham collection: a mirror and a washbasin. “My goal was to create something extremely elegant and surprising. I always look for a partner who is willing to push the envelope and let me experiment. I found that in Bellini,” says the artist.
From the sea to watchmaking
From the Venice Arsenale, where the Astor 36 was unveiled, to Singapore: the artist’s creative journey flows naturally. It is a short step from the lines of a hull to those of a timepiece. Water returns as the protagonist in another creation, this time by Hublot.
Taking centre stage is the MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire, a model that once again highlights his vision: capturing the fluid movement of water and translating it into the design of the case. ‘The transparent structure of the watch captures the clarity and flow of water, suspended, precise and always in motion,’ says Arsham.
Fluid design and Hublot codes
Sapphire crystal, used for the frosted bezel with box construction, together with titanium and rubber — materials symbolic of the Art of Fusion — becomes the basis on which to model organic shapes inspired by the flow of water. The most striking detail is the opening on the dial, shaped like a splash, an evolution of the MP-16, which reinterpreted drops in a poetic key.
At first glance, the watch seems to depart from the classic Hublot aesthetic, but on closer inspection, all the Maison’s codes are there: the six H-shaped screws on the bezel and case back, the lugs at 3 and 9 o’clock, and the titanium folding clasp.
The hands, hour markers and all functional indications, including the small seconds hand at 9 o’clock and the power reserve at 3 o’clock, feature Arsham’s unmistakable green accents, a detail that seals the collaboration.
From the waves flowing along the hull of the Astor 36 to the liquid forms captured in the case of the MP-17, Daniel Arsham has traversed 2025, allowing this element to become the guiding thread of his creativity. The sea and watchmaking, yachts and timepieces: seemingly distant worlds that the artist has managed to bring together through the same idea of fluidity.
And it is precisely in this continuous, elegant, surprising flow that we find the essence of his creative year: a journey that starts from water and inevitably returns to water.
Matteo Zaccagnino
