What to see at Paris Design Week 2023

In collaboration with Numéro art

A bloody banquet at the Institut Suédois

Amid the clean, uncluttered décor of the Institut Suédois, a long table unfurls a gory banquet: sharp salad bowls, bloodied sugar bowls, and poisoned cups, with tablecloths printed with frightening motifs. Nine artists and designers, invited by the feminist platform Misschiefs, have deconstructed the image of the perfect housewife cooking delicious dishes by creating punk objects that go against the grain of traditional tableware. Hovering between fascination and repulsion, the objects spread across this large table promise an exciting dinner – at least for those who dare to sit down.

‘Fine Dying’
Institut Suédois, Paris 3^e
Until October 1, 2023

A scaffold to the clouds at the Palais-Royal

No, the garden of the Palais-Royal is not under construction: the immense scaffold installed in the center of a small pond is indeed a work of art. Designed by French artist Emmanuel Barrois, this 15-metre-high glass installation glistens with rainbow rays in the sunlight. While it is impossible to climb in the hope of reaching the clouds, it is highly advisable to take a seat on a bench and take a close look at this technical feat.  Master glassmaker Barrois used no less than 8 tons of flat glass in an interlacing design which ‘traps the light’ and provokes, as its title suggests, ‘reflections’, of both the optical and introspective kind.

‘Reflections’
Palais-Royal Garden, Paris 1er
Until November 15, 2023

Ceramics, lighting, and organza in the Marais

You have to cross a street in the Marais, pass through a large wrought-iron gate, and walk to the end of a charming little courtyard to discover the Empreintes concept store, a treasure trove of design. Spread over three floors, the store is packed with artisanal nuggets made in France. Its displays for Paris Design Week include the strange modular ceramic sculptures of artist Kartini Thomas (Studio Kartini), with their organic, colorful shapes. Elsewhere, the luminous clouds of glassblowers Fluïd float alongside the delicate organza textile creations, dyed with flowers and wood bark, of duo Harumi Sugiura and Tony Jouanneau.

‘Re-Création’
Empreintes, Paris 3^e
Until October 15, 2023

A cascade of glass in the courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine

In the inner courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine, a cluster of orange and silver disks spills over the black cobblestones. Designed and crafted by the virtuoso master glassmaker Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert, this large-scale installation, 11 meters long and 4 meters wide, gives an impression of movement, like a molten lava flow. This impression is accentuated when the sun's rays are trapped by the 80 or so blown-glass disks, which shine brightly in this shaded enclosed space and pique the curiosity of anyone strolling along the nearby Place de la Concorde.

‘Magma’
Hôtel de la Marine, Paris 8^e
Until September 19, 2023

This article is part of an ongoing editorial collaboration with Numéro art. Read the original article here.

Published on September 12, 2023.

Caption for full-bleed image: Lamps by Fluïd. Courtesy of Fluïd.