Stoppage Vessels is a minimal collection of vessels designed by Toronto-based studio Mercury Bureau. The foundation of this project is a custom-made steel mould that constantly changes shape. This mould produces an endless series of one-of-a-kind pieces, ranging from geometric to organic. Geometric forms are made possible by bolting together several of the mould’s fins to create flat sections. These geometric forms, as well as the more organic forms, are created freely in the moment, despite the strict proportional foundations of the mould.

The individual fins of this mould are interchangeable, allowing them to be added and subtract- ed, creating larger and smaller diameters. The fins are connected with aircraft cable, secured with hardware, and clamped to a steel baseplate to stabilize each form. The concept for this project came in response to a 1913–14 piece by Marcel Duchamp: Three Standard Stoppages. In this piece, Marcel Duchamp dropped 1m strings from a 1m height, taped the fallen strings to canvas strips, then created wood- en draftsperson’s rulers from the random forms of the fallen strings.