Panel discussion ColAAb, Library Beaux-Arts de Paris

On Friday June 30, the reception hall of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Paris was the setting for a panel discussion organized by Aurélie Sarallier, founder of ColAAb. Invited by Le Cercle Chromatique, Alumni of the Beaux-Arts, the young art publishing house has taken over the library space for a few weeks: several design works by Morgane Tschiember, Angelika Markul, Vincent Lamouroux, Sara Favriau, Nicolas Momein and Xiao Fan Ru will occupy the premises from June 1 to July 16, 2023.

The conference brought together the exhibiting artists, Nicolas Bourriaud, curator, former Director of the École des Beaux-Arts and renowned art critic, and Elvire Bonduelle, visual artist and former student of the École des Beaux-Arts. Moderated by Nicolas Bourriaud, the meeting focused on the relationship between art, design and architecture. What is a useful art object? Functional? The answers given by the artists were also a way of revealing their artistic approaches, brought to fruition thanks to the support of ColAAb.

The question of the utility, the aesthetic and the superfluous is omnipresent among artists and designers. Does a creation have to be useful to society in order to legitimately exist? If the definition of a function enables us to satisfy a necessity, human needs cannot be restricted to their material nature, as they are inevitably linked to an aesthetic and an emotional dimension. Functionality cannot be synonymous with utility when it comes to works of art, whether they are pictorial, sculptural, graphic or conceptual. As for design and architecture, their mission is to combine the beautiful and the functional in order to become part of our daily lives, replacing purely everyday objects with creations that are as practical as they are poetic.

Standardization also lies at the heart of the reflections of the artists represented by ColAAb, each of whom in their own way gives life to furniture whose forms derive from memories of travel, personal experiences and outdated issues.

For Angelika Markul, the magic of art allows her to bring home a piece of the impossible, as illustrated by her coffee table Tchouri in the shape of a comet. Sara Favriau shared her relationship with nature, drawing inspiration directly from the field to create delicate wall and plant creations, entitled Et si jamais le ciel est un lieu- dit, je le revois près du front.

In the Private Choice 2023 selection, you’ll find Xiao Fan Ru‘s La Voie d’or table, Morgane Tschiember‘s Shibari stools, whose wood seems deformed by rope – which has become the emblematic element of her work – and Vincent Lamouroux’s Orbis modular and circular bookshelves, imagined as a protective bulwark where readers can devote themselves to their work in complete serenity.

The art pieces mentioned are exhibited at the Librairie des Beaux-Arts, 13 quai Malaquais, 75006 Paris, until July 16, as well as at the event Private Choice between October 15 and 22, 2023.

Julie Merle

Julie Merle