Demisch Danant: 5, Quai Malaquais, Paris is the first chapter of the collaborative project Galleries in Residence between Demisch Danant (New York) and Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval (Paris). Focused on the exchange of our spaces in New York and Paris, the intention of these off-site exhibitions is to engage with our respective communities, enriching the understanding of French design both in France and internationally.
From Demisch Danant's perspective, we are proud to present our gallery, program, and French post-war designers to the Parisian audience. Before taking over this historically significant location, we pondered the question of the "Anne-Sophie Duval spirit," which becomes palpable as soon as one enters the Parisian gallery. Is this space a protected sanctuary that cannot be disturbed, or can it be open to a different approach and sensibility? Julie Blum, Anne-Sophie's daughter who now runs the gallery, encouraged us to express our vision freely.
Rather than feeling intimidated, we were inspired by the level of sophistication and modernity that characterizes the creators championed by Anne-Sophie Duval, such as Eileen Gray, Jean-Michel Franck, Pierre Chareau, Armand-Albert Rateau, Marcel Coard, to name a few. Demisch Danant: 5, Quai Malaquais, Paris aims to present a selection of emblematic pieces from the 1950s, including furniture by Louis Sognot, Maxime Old, and Jacques Dumond, from the 1960s by Joseph-André Motte, René-Jean Caillette, Etienne Fermigier, and Geneviève Dangles, and also to highlight the generation of the 1970s, whose work was more confidential at the time but equally important in terms of style and quality as that of their predecessors. Starting with Maria Pergay, who is not only one of the leading figures in Demisch Danant's program but is also considered the "Eileen Gray of the 1970s." Around a selection of her pieces, we have included furniture and objects by Claude de Muzac, Serge Mansau, Bernard Govin, Jacques Charpentier, and Michel Boyer, which complement this ensemble, embodying a certain Parisian elegance of the 1970s.
Studying the history of Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval, we were sensitive to the fact that many female creators have been exhibited within its walls. Eileen Gray, Charlotte Perriand, Valentine Schlegel, Chana Orloff, Eugénie O'Kin, Rose Adler, Marie Vassilieff, are a few examples. We, too, have exhibited numerous female creators from a more recent generation who were also highly active in Paris in the fields of decorative arts and French design from the 1950s to the 1970s. It felt important to include them in this exhibition as a focal point of convergence between our two galleries. Maria Pergay and Claude de Muzac, mentioned earlier, as well as Janette Laverrière, Colette Gueden and Janine Abraham, are part of our selection.
It was particularly ambitious to juxtapose the pieces of our creators in a space that hosted one of the most important French galleries for decorative arts for half a century, celebrating the generation of Art Deco and UAM*. There are historical and artistic links between the pre-war and post-war designers, especially through the role of UAM alumni who mentored the emerging young creators of the 1950s**, as well as through the pursuit of innovation and new materials by both these generations. Our exhibition promotes these technical advancements, highlighting the use of stainless steel in the work of Maria Pergay, Joseph-André Motte, and Michel Boyer; rattan in the works of Janine Abraham, Louis Sognot, and René-Jean Caillette; glass in the works of Jacques Dumond; and aluminum in the works of Jacques Dumond, again, and Étienne Fermigier. We complement our selection with cork furniture from contemporary designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, whom we have been showcasing since 2022. Once again, our perspective aligns with Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval, not only when it comes to this material, previously used by Eileen Gray in the 1930s, but also due to the relevance of Duchaufour-Lawrance's practice, which Julie wanted to integrate into our shared history.
Lastly, it was important to us to continue interweaving our art collection within our overarching program. Inside the gallery space, our furniture selection is accompanied by a series of artworks by painter Alain Jacquet, a leading force of the Pop Art movement. Meanwhile, around the corner, contemporary artist Jean-Baptiste Caron transformed the gallery's window display on rue Bonaparte, with a multi-media, site-specific installation titled ‘Tout crépuscule est une aube’ (‘Every twilight is a dawn’).
*UAM, or Union des Artistes Modernes, is a movement of architects and interior designers founded in 1929 by Prouvé, Perriand, Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Mallet-Stevens.
**Among them: Joseph-André Motte, Pierre Paulin, René-Jean Caillette, Jacques Dumond, Maxime Old, Étienne Fermigier, Abraham & Rol, Philippon et Lecoq.
-Stéphane Danant