Telescope
September 5 - October 5, 2024

Telescope engages in a dialogue between furniture from the 1950s through the 1980s and contemporary design, revealing their shared conceptual affinities.

The challenge of juxtaposing these different periods lies in their diverse contexts and aesthetic spirits. Integrating French design from the 1950s with that of the 1970s poses difficulties due to their distinct materials and design impulses. In the 1950s, furniture prominently featured wood—especially ash, mahogany, and rosewood veneers—paired with black lacquered tubular metals. By the 1970s, this gave way to plastics, Formica, and colored lacquered woods, complemented by chrome and brushed steel. This shift reflects the broader historical contexts: the post-war Reconstruction era focused on affordability and industrial production, while the 1965-1975 period was characterized by technological experimentation and playful, utopian ideals. Comparing Pierre Guariche’s 1950s furniture designs with Maria Pergay’s 1970s stainless steel works highlights these disparities.

While our program has frequently revisited design from the 1950s to the 1970s, the 1980s have featured less prominently due to their distinct aesthetic. In 2018, we showcased German design from the 1980s, notably through the Pentagon Group. Since then, we have acquired 1980s pieces by French designers whose earlier pieces were already in our collection, including Christian Germanaz’s Comedia Armchair and Verre Lumiere lamps by designers such as Ronald Cecil Sportes, Alain Carré, Marc Held, and Jean-Pierre Vitrac.

Through this expanded lens, the 1980s revival of 1950s design principles became apparent, as many designers draw inspiration from earlier eras. This exhibition underscores these connections from decade to decade, revealing the formal similarities between contemporary creations and their historical models.

With this in mind, we place 1980s designs by Pentagon Group, Philippe Starck, Agence Némo, and Christian Germanaz alongside historic models by René-Jean Caillette and Pierre Guariche from the 1950s. Works from the 1960s and 70s by Etienne Henri Martin, Jean-Louis Avril, Roger Tallon, and Atelier A converse with contemporary pieces, such as Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance’s Madonna Del Monte Tables and Pierre Charpin’s 2005 “Large R” Low Table. Here, the continuity of these design dialogues across generations becomes visible.

Telescope mixes works that differ in shape and, most importantly, in spirit to create a space which reveals their specific resonances. The selection emphasizes material similarities and a shared anti-decorative, purified aesthetic that embodies transgenerational radicalism.