Paris hosted the French editions of Design Miami and Art Basel last week, alongside numerous openings and events. Despite recent protests, the city buzzed with optimism, fueled by the unifying power of art and design.
Highlights from Design Miami Paris
This marked the fourth year Design Miami took place at L’Hôtel de Maisons, the former home of Karl Lagerfeld. Jesse Lee, founder of Basic. Space, led the event for the second year.
Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn’s Salon 94 Design won Best Gallery Presentation. Rohatyn showcased an eclectic mix, including Alberto Giacometti chairs and Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy’s “Stag Stools.” Peter Schlesinger’s ceramic swan and geese urns, fired in his Long Island garage, also drew attention.
Apple’s Designers of Tomorrow Showcase
Apple’s second annual showcase focused on the theme of “presence.” Isabel Rower presented “Padded Chair, 1860,” inspired by 18th and 19th-century paper-mâché furniture. The piece featured 1,500 handmade beads, sparking ASMR comments from visitors.
Other participants included Salem S. Charabi, Yoonjeong Lee, and Genki Matsumura and Sebastián Zorrilla of Parafernalia.
At Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval, Sylvain Dubuisson displayed innovative pieces, including a Japanese lacquer-coated black desk and a gold table designed to oscillate. A wooden table transformed from vertical to horizontal with a simple peg release, while a marble table folded into thirds.
The gallery, now run by Julie Blum, hosted Duval herself on Thursday night, showcasing Dubuisson’s imaginative designs.
Hugo Besnier’s new showroom in Saint-Germain-des-Prés highlights Paris’s artistic legacy. The historic loft, once home to Balthus and Sheila Hicks, features works by these artists alongside Besnier’s Tour de Mains furniture collection.
Notable pieces bridging art and design included Alteronce Gumby’s prismatic forms at Jeffrey Deitch and Sheila Hicks’s woven wall hangings at Sikkema Malloy Jenkins.
On the Palais’s second level, Marina Faust’s light sculptures, created with J. L. Lobmeyr, were displayed at Gianni Manhattan gallery.
At Hauser & Wirth Paris, Sandy Rower, Alexander Calder’s grandson, curated “Calder: François Premier.” The exhibit focuses on 1953–54, when Calder lived in the French countryside, creating mobiles like “Les Granettes” and “The Putney Mobile,” as well as ink and gouache paintings and household items.
Alice Diop, collaborating with Miu Miu, presented “Geste de Consolation” at the Palais d’Iéna. The exhibition included a video, a library with Diop’s favorite books, Simone Leigh’s 16-foot sculpture “Sentinel (Mami Wata),” and a photograph by Zanele Muholi. Live performances by Nadia Beugré and concerts by Angel Bat Dawid and the Sistazz of the Nitty Gritty complemented the display.
Madonna made a surprise appearance to celebrate her son Rocco Ritchie’s exhibition, “Back on the Brush,” at Pierre Augustin Rose. The show features 11 figurative expressionist paintings and sculptures, on view until November 7.
Innovative Designs and Artistic Collaborations
A black desk, coated with Japanese lacquer, stood out for its sleek design. A gold table with oscillating metal legs was created purely for aesthetic enjoyment. Another wooden table demonstrated versatility, transforming from a vertical display to a horizontal dining table with a simple peg release. Additionally, a marble table could be folded into thirds, showcasing Dubuisson’s imaginative approach.
L. These stripped-down chandeliers hung from a metal frame, blending simplicity with elegance.
