
Untitled (Halco and Tour d'Argent Salt and Pepper Shakers), 1989
Stainless steel, glass, silver, 20.5 x 33 x 9 cm (8 x 13 x 3½ in). Edition of 15, signed and numbered.
This edition exemplifies Haim Steinbach’s signature approach: the presentation of everyday objects on shelves as a means of exploring display, value, and meaning. Here, he presents two sets of salt and pepper shakers – one an everyday, inexpensive pair by Halco; the other a refined, silver set from the prestigious French brand Tour d’Argent. Placed side by side on a sleek, mirrored stainless steel shelf, these objects become more than kitchenware: they are cultural signifiers, curated with the same attention as artworks in a museum. Steinbach’s use of the shelf as a “framing device” invites viewers to reflect on the emotional, aesthetic, and social meanings projected onto objects. By juxtaposing utilitarian plastic and luxury silver, he stages a quiet confrontation between “high” and “low” culture, mass production and exclusivity, the common and the elite. The arrangement is deliberate, echoing the structure of language, poetry, or musical composition – where meaning emerges through sequence and contrast. For Steinbach, objects are a form of vernacular – a shared visual language that reveals how we live, communicate, and assign value. Untitled (Halco and Tour d’Argent...) transforms two humble domestic pairings into a meditation on class, taste, and cultural identity.