Alain Douillard
Leather chair, 1970
DESIGN BRUT
May 3 - June 2, 2023
We are pleased to present DESIGN BRUT, which showcases a collection of works each celebrating the essence of their mediums. Including highly sculptural pieces by Costa Coulentianos, Sylvain Contini, Michel Guino, Albert Feraud, Sido & François Thevenin, Philoloas Tloupas, or Dominique Zimbacca, the show aims to highlight creators who, through the brutally honest expression of their materials, managed to produce impressively complex designs.
Seemingly rough, sometimes crude, the pieces presented in this exhibition indeed thrive to be truthful to their primary material, while giving it the freedom to become highly decorative elements, conveying an emotional function rather than a rational one. Although made of simple constructions, almost rudimentary in some cases, the pieces become intricate through the genuine expression of their mediums and creators. Amongst others, Dominique Zimbacca’s piled blocks of wood become a geometrical achievement that converses with harshly chiseled metal and rugged welds on Sido & François Thevenin’s elegantly patterned surfaces.
Through the juxtaposition of these works in the gallery space, DESIGN BRUT seeks to transport the viewers to a world where raw aesthetics meet elegance and intricately well-thought-out designs form unfeigned creations.
