Connections and Settings by Florian Milker

The process will alternate between technical exploration and artistic interpretation: learning how to capture form and texture, manipulate them digitally, and rethink scale, proportion, and context. The goal is to design a frame or setting that resonates with the essence of the chosen object a kind of dialogue between the tangible and the virtual.

In the final stage, participants will bring their digital designs back into the physical world through 3D printing, giving form to a hybrid piece that bridges craft and technology, memory and materiality.

The result may stand as jewelry, object, or sculpture. A contemporary reflection on how we preserve and transform what we hold dear.


Florian Milker (DE)
Florian Milker is a jewelry artist and designer based in Leipzig, Germany. Trained as a goldsmith, he studied art with a focus on jewelry and sculpture. His practice moves fluidly between physical and digital workbenches, guided by playful exchanges with materials, forms, and techniques. The resulting pieces blur the boundaries between jewelry and object, art and design, edition and uniqueness, exploring why we adorn ourselves.


Programme:
The residency will run from Monday 27 to thursday 30 of July 2026.
The arrival of the participants will be possible on Sunday 12 of July from 15:00 to start the workshops together on Monday morning. You will have time to discover the place, to settle in and to get to know each other.

At 19:30 a welcome dinner will be served.

Course of a day : (There may be some changes in the schedule depending on the needs of the moment)
8:00 Breakfast.
9:00-12:00 Workshop.
12:30 Lunch.
14:00-17:00 workshop.
17:00-19:30 breaks, exchanges, swimming, walks...
20:00 Dinner.

Friday 31. of July is a day of celebration
Open house for the curious: studio visit, demonstration of techniques covered during the course and artist lecture. Meet the artist. Convival Shared buffet, everybody brings something for lunch time.

The usual activities at Mounaval: morning yoga, swimming in the Viaur, a masseuse (not included in the price) can be arranged if you wish. We plan a cultural and tourist outing to Saint Antonin Noble Val.


Digital jewellery workshop: from digitisation to 3D printing.
- For adults. Maximum 8 participants.
- Workshop in english, german.
- Price: €620 (4-day course including materials and tools needed to make your creations).
Early bird rate: €570 for all registrations before 21 January 2026.

- 40€/j. 3 Meals, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.
- €17/night: accommodation in the barn (6-bed dormitory).
- €40/night: accommodation in a spacious individual tent.


>> Full PDF presentation (FR / EN)


Mounaval is an old family farm built during the Revolution where vines were grown. This reinvented place is home to Harry's cycle restoration workshop, a Bavarian with a passion for bicycles, as well as the studio of the visual artist Babette Boucher. This is our living space.

Le sel de la main was born twenty years ago during a wild residency between friends in Burgundy and was finally born in Marrakech, where we lived for a few years. The workshops were finally organised in Mounaval, a small place with 6 hectares of forest, nestled on a hillside with a view of the Pyrenees.

Calm, rurality, nature, orchard, vegetable garden, river, swimming, hiking, starry nights... so many words that set the scene for a relaxing stay. Here, you can stay for a course or a residence with all simplicity. The barn has been transformed into a comfortable dormitory. Spacious tents set in the chestnut grove offer simple and eco-friendly comfort. The toilets and shower are located in the house, while the dry toilets and shower are located outside.


Terms and conditions:
Payment will be made either on arrival at Mounaval, in cash, or by cheque or bank transfer to Le sel de la main account. You will be asked to pay a deposit of 300 euros when you book online, which is refundable if the course is cancelled or in the event of force majeure.

Food and Drink:
Meal times are fixed to allow the group to get together. Depending on the weather, they take place outdoors or indoors in our communal area equipped with an open, friendly kitchen where cooking workshops also take place. Food is served buffet-style: creative, healthy dishes, mainly Mediterranean with a vegetarian focus, for lunch and dinner. Special dishes are prepared for people who announce their allergies or dietary requirements in advance. Everyone helps prepare the meals!
We favour local products; a large part of the fruit and vegetables come from the vegetable garden and orchard of Mounaval. Alcoholic drinks are not included in the price. As an extra, we offer a regional wine as well as homemade beer produced in Mounaval.

How to get there:
Mounaval is located in Varen in the Tarn et Garonne, between the towns of Albi, Gaillac and Villefranche de Rouergue. The nearest train station is Lexos or Laguépie, where we will pick you up. The nearest airport is Toulouse.

Le Sel de la Main *The salt of the hand
The association Le sel de la main invites people to learn and discover artistic and craft techniques. It brings together people from all walks of life who share a common passion: creating and experimenting together.

Le sel de la main offers the opportunity to participate in residential workshops where you can immerse yourself, take the time to discover, create and learn new disciplines, and build a network of friends and professional contacts. These moments of sharing and exchange are particularly enriching and allow everyone to progress.

Le sel de la main offers a setting surrounded by nature on the Mounaval estate, where you can recharge your batteries and reconnect with yourself. A time for yourself away from everyday life, allowing everyone to take the time to refocus on their deepest aspirations.

Creative, artistic and rejuvenating holidays, to take care of yourself. So listen to yourself! Join us, far from the stress and constraints of everyday life, to share these special moments in a serene and inspiring environment.