Light, Fable, and the Cycles of Creation: Inside Apparatus’s Long-Awaited Act V: Afsaneh

NEW YORK — After a deliberate five-year hiatus, the renowned New York design studio Apparatus has returned with a sweeping, deeply introspective new body of work. Titled Act V: Afsaneh, the collection marks a profound milestone for artistic director Gabriel Hendifar. Known for creating evocative, narrative-driven interiors and lighting design over the past 14 years, Hendifar utilized the quiet years between collections to reconsider not only his own artistic vocabulary, but what it fundamentally means to "make light" in a rapidly shifting contemporary landscape.

The resulting collection is far more than a catalog of luxury lighting and furniture; it is an immersive, multi-sensory meditation on creativity, generational knowledge, the cycles of life, and the enduring human desire to gather in shared spaces.

Main Facts

• The Collection: Act V: Afsaneh is the first new collection from New York design studio Apparatus in five years, spearheaded by artistic director and co-founder Gabriel Hendifar.
• The Inspiration: The collection draws heavily on Persian mythology, personal history (sharing its name with both Hendifar’s mother and the Persian word for fable), and the cyclical nature of the natural world—specifically the journey from seed to flower to cosmos.
• Four Distinct Series: The work unfolds across four chapters: Esfand (the seed/mother), Gol (the flower/amplification), Rahvi (the serpent/knowledge), and Jahaan (the cosmos/community).
• Multidisciplinary Approach: True to Apparatus’s theatrical ethos, the launch incorporates a custom signature fragrance (featuring notes of damask rose and oud) and five short films produced in collaboration with the legendary Martha Graham Dance Company.
• Materials: A deliberate mix of cast glass, fiberglass, and seven semi-precious stones (such as lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye, and red jasper) designed to bridge past traditions and futuristic aesthetics into an atemporal realm.

Chronology of a Creative Evolution: The Road to Act V

To understand the weight of Act V, one must look back at the trajectory of Apparatus. Over more than a decade, the studio established itself as a heavyweight in the global design sphere through a sequence of distinct stylistic chapters.

In previous Acts, Hendifar channeled diverse historical and cultural touchstones: the gritty, unapologetic glamour of late-1970s New York; the sparkling, avant-garde creative expression of the Wiener Werkstätte; a deeply personal reimagining of his family’s Iranian heritage; and speculative, playful visions of the future.

However, following a prolific 14-year run, Hendifar hit a plateau that demanded introspection. The onset of the five-year pause was not born of creative block, but rather a profound philosophical inquiry.

"I really needed a moment to understand what I was saying and why," Hendifar reflects, looking back on the intervening years. "What I was trying to understand was, what does it actually mean to make light?"

This existential question triggered a retreat inward. Rather than chasing fleeting interior design trends, Hendifar sought to evaluate "the kinds of things and the ways of making that feel relevant now." That search for relevance ultimately led him away from purely architectural references and toward organic cycles, ancient fables, and a re-examination of humanity’s collective psychological state.

The result is Afsaneh—a collection that synthesizes Hendifar’s dual identity as an Iranian-American creator, a former musician, and a self-described "theater kid" into a cohesive, mature artistic statement.

Supporting Data & Structural Breakdown: The Four Chapters of Afsaneh

Act V: Afsaneh is structured like a classical theatrical performance, divided into four distinct narrative series that track a symbolic journey from inception to cosmic expansion.

1. Esfand (The Seed / The Mother)

Serving as the foundational building block of the entire collection, Esfand represents inception, roots, and maternal energy. This elemental shape manifests across a series of wall sconces, sculptural vessels, and an intricate incense burner.
"They feel like their own little universe, like they hold the entirety of the cosmos," says Hendifar. By stripping forms down to their most concentrated, embryonic shapes, Esfand establishes a quiet, meditative gravity.

2. Gol (The Flower / Amplification)

If Esfand is the private seed, Gol is its public bloom. In this series, cast-glass seeds are dramatically enveloped by sweeping, oversized fiberglass shades. Depending on the viewer’s perspective, the shades evoke delicate flower petals, deep-sea jellyfish, or otherworldly marine life.
"This is the seed wrapped in beauty as a way to both protect it and attract the people who are meant to seek it," Hendifar explains. The interplay between translucent glass and textured fiberglass creates a soft, diffused luminosity that redefines ambient lighting.

3. Rahvi (The Serpent / The Collector of Knowledge)

Symbolizing wisdom, transformation, and guardianship, Rahvi introduces a series of protective amulets crafted from seven semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye, and red jasper. Working in tandem with the themes of the flower, these pieces serve as spiritual totems.
"This is almost like a spiritual starter kit for leaning into the light," Hendifar jokes, pointing to the protective and amplifying qualities historically attributed to these stones across various cultures.

4. Jahaan (The Cosmos / Community)

The final chapter of the fable expands outward into the universe, anchoring itself around a singular domestic and communal object: the table.
"It’s where we gather to share knowledge. It’s where we gather to share food. The table is the idea of community," says Hendifar. In Jahaan, the individual threads of seed, flower, and accumulated knowledge are synthesized and shared among people, completing the grand cycle.

Official Perspectives and Artistic Philosophy

Gabriel Hendifar’s approach to design has always blurred the lines between fine art, interior decor, and theatrical production. For Act V, this methodology expanded to encompass scent and movement.

The olfactory element of the collection—a bespoke fragrance redolent of damask rose and oud—transforms physical showrooms into environments that evoke "moonlight in a desert rose garden." This multi-sensory layer is reinforced by a high-profile collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company, resulting in five short films released alongside the collection.

Hendifar views film not merely as marketing collateral, but as an essential structural pillar of the project. "It allows me to say a lot of things in a way that isn’t always so direct… it can feel like a collage," he notes.

When conceptualizing how a collection enters the world, Hendifar looks past the static photograph of an interior space. He asks fundamental questions about human interaction: "What are we telling people in movement, sound, and music? And what is the moment when we are gathering in a room together? What does it feel like to be at the party?"

Ultimately, Afsaneh is less about selling physical commodities and more about world-building. Hendifar’s goal is to craft an environment that spectators want to inhabit—and to leave them with an emotional resonance that lingers long after the lights are turned off.

Implications for Contemporary Design

The debut of Act V: Afsaneh arrives at a critical juncture for the global design and luxury furniture market. Following years of pandemic-induced isolation, supply chain disruptions, and an oversaturated digital marketplace, designers are increasingly searching for deeper meaning, sustainability of thought, and slower, more deliberate production cycles.

• A Shift Toward Slow Design: Apparatus’s five-year gap between collections challenges the relentless, fast-paced cadence demanded by modern consumerism. By taking the time to recalibrate, Hendifar has demonstrated that commercial viability can coexist with rigorous intellectual and artistic exploration.
• The Rise of Atemporal Materials: By employing a hybrid palette of ancient materials (semi-precious stones) and modern industrial mediums (fiberglass and cast glass), the studio successfully positions Afsaneh outside of rigid temporal trends. This "atemporal" design philosophy suggests a future where furniture and lighting are viewed as heirloom artifacts rather than disposable decor.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaborations: The integration of choreography, film, and bespoke perfumery within Act V signals a broader industry shift. High-end design studios are increasingly expected to curate total sensory ecosystems rather than standalone products, engaging buyers through narrative-driven, immersive experiences.

As Act V: Afsaneh makes its way into the world, it stands as a testament to the power of pausing. By looking backward into mythology and inward into personal history, Apparatus has cast a brilliant, forward-looking light on where contemporary design can—and perhaps should—go next.