Memphis is in the spotlight !
Ettore Sottsass: L'objet magique
Architect, designer, painter, sculptor, set designer, graphic designer, writer : Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) was a trailblazer at every period of his life. Maison Matisse takes you today to the heart of the exhibition " Ettore Sottsass : L'objet magique " organized by the Centre Pompidou and to be visited until next January 3.
The exhibition begins with some of Sottsass's earliest creations from the early 1940s, nurtured by avant-garde art and architecture and falling under the umbrella of true " spatial constructions " between painting, sculpture, and modeling.
In 1947, then established in Milan, Ettore Sottsass created his design agency and began the realization of interior design projects, as well as objects and furniture that were for him a real field of experimentation.
"I have always thought that design begins where rational processes end and those of magic begin. "
It was not until 1956 that Sottsass began working with ceramics, a symbolic material to which he would remain very attached throughout his life. From his return from convalescence in 1963, after contracting a serious illness, are born the Ceramics of Darkness : witnesses of this dark period from which the artist had just escaped.
The highlight of the exhibition is the reconstruction of the historic 1969 Stockholm exhibition, with the presentation of monumental, shamanic totem-like ceramics that echo Sottsass' " magical design ".
A side note from Maison Matisse
Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini, who created for Maison Matisse three limited edition vases, collaborated together to create Studio Alchimia in the mid-1970s. The goal: to bring a post-modern vision to design.
The exhibition inevitably ends with a return to the Memphis group, founded by Sottsass in 1981 and aimed at liberating the creative approach to design, carried by Sottsass's liberatory vision.
The revival initiated by the Memphis movement allows for experimentation with shapes, colors, patterns and materials, in a fully immersive and magical environment.
Memphis as seen by Made in Design
The Made in Design Gallery honors the Memphis movement on the 6th floor of Printemps Haussmann, with the exhibition "Umeda & Memphis: sensory dialogue."
Until January 8 and in preview, the Gallery highlights the "Night Tales" collection by Japanese designer Masanori Umeda. On the program: a dive into the center of the Memphis trend, with intense and colorful design.
Nostalgic for the unique Memphis aesthetic, the collection includes a few pieces edited from 1980s designs. A true testament to the Memphis spirit, the exhibition features several exclusive iconic pieces, such as Ettore Sottsass's Tartar console and Marco Zanini's Roma armchair.
Exhibition Gallery Made In Design - Umeda and Memphis.To be discovered until January 8.
See you soon!
