Each in its own way, these exhibitions celebrate the centenary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, the grand Parisian salon that, after World War I, propelled the Art Deco style – a combination of geometric lines, luxurious materials and innovation – to the forefront of the world stage. Here is a spotlight on three exhibitions that allow visitors to experience a slice of the Roaring Twenties in the French capital.
‘Les Nouveaux Ensembliers’: Inspired heirs
At the Mobilier national in Paris, 10 interior designers – nine from France and one from Brazil – were given carte blanche to imagine the “Embassy of Tomorrow” in the spirit of the Pavilion of the Ambassador, one of the highlights of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. The proposals of these “Nouveaux Ensembliers” – what we now call “interior architects” – are as eclectic as those of their predecessors, each highlighting their own vision of modernity along with their favorite artists and craftspeople.
From the moment visitors enter the Galerie des Gobelins, they are immersed in the nomadic embassy of the Parisian studio Emilieu (founded by Paul Emilieu). With its fabric walls, faux marble and transportable furniture created from reused materials and enhanced with draping, one imagines a Lawrence of Arabia-style camp for the third millennium. The boudoir bar, with its chandelier paying tribute to Eileen Gray, seems haunted by elegant women with long cigarette holders; conceived by Sophie Dries, it features creations by Baccarat, Duvelleroy and MycoWorks.
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