This is what a film can look like when a trendy gallery owner brings art and design together. Amélie du Chalard brings together furniture pieces by Anthony Guerrée with the recent works of architect and artist Ludovic Philippon.
GOODLIFE Whon Desing - Le Monde Fabuleux D'Amelie
Paris, Thursday morning. Pouring rain. Designer Anthony Guerrée has invited us to see his new furniture creations for the luxury British company De La Espada. The exhibition space is Amélie Maison d'Art. Amélie du Chalard's gallery is hidden in a courtyard in the sixth arrondissement. Cardboard boxes and bubble wrap bags pile up, a moving trolley blocks the view. The entrance is concealed within a classic Parisian townhouse, at the back of the courtyard. As the door opens, sunlight floods in. The nearly five-meter-high pieces resemble a lunar apartment. Giant windows open onto a garden. The rear facade of the townhouse resembles a castle. "I am very proud and excited to exhibit my works for De La Espada for the first time in our city of Paris," he tells us. It is no coincidence that Amélie du Chalard has made her premises available to the designer. She bought an object from his first personal project, in which Anthony Guerrée represented characters from Marcel Proust's novel "In Search of Lost Time" as chairs. Since then, the two have been in touch. I wonder if it's different working for a client, and Guerrée responds: "For me, it's the same approach. I always try to tell different stories. At the time, it was about Proust, today, for De La Espada, it's about astronomy and geometry." And more specifically, about his recurring dream of spending a starry night in Joshua Tree National Park and gazing at the fixed stars of the summer triangle.
"Of course, I try to do something within the brand's DNA, but I tell it my way. This is how a little universe was born. All the objects bear star names, and everything revolves around the theme of symmetry."
The new collection, the second for the London-based brand, includes two armchairs, a desk, stools, and a giant dining table with chairs. Apart from the sofa elements, named "Sirius" and created in 2022, the novelties share a common feature. "It's really special," explains Guerrée, who studied at the École Boulle in Paris and first worked for Andrée Putman and Christophe Delcourt. "Solid wood meets my requirements. But I had to familiarize myself with the techniques first. De La Espada's workshop is the most beautiful place I've ever visited. Such quality. Most furniture manufacturers in Europe use veneers to give the impression of solid wood. But most of the time, only the raw frame is solid, and the rest is veneer. There, in the workshop, it's different. It was a real challenge for me. From a technical point of view, I learned a lot because some of my designs don't like to be executed massively. We still found solutions, as the local engineers love these kinds of problems. And I found the blend of craftsmanship, engineering, and design fantastic." Thus, the novelties can be interpreted as a kind of exploration of craftsmanship and geometry, with their bold, almost sculptural lines.
A correspondence with Ludovic Philippon's paintings, according to the gallery owner: "A form stands out from its background with sharp and contrasting colors and precise, rigorous lines. No missteps are tolerated, neither in color nor in form. Through his training as an architect, Philippon acquired technical and artistic discipline and great sensitivity." His paintings are fascinating. Are they flowers, a tear, or a ribbon we see there? Du Chalard replies: "A game of hide and seek with my senses. But as Pierre Wat says, 'renouncing recognition opens the eye,' and looking at a work by Philippon is to escape and let one's imagination run wild." The painter and the designer are linked by their modesty, minimalism, and powerful creations. Both work solo - Guerrée only occasionally calls for support. "But I'm not alone; I work with teams from all over the world." Like with De La Espada. "What I like most is to exchange ideas, even if I'm rather shy. But design always sends me on a journey, and I meet people. All this gives me the opportunity to express myself better and better. From a technical point of view, I've become much more comfortable, and I can focus on the form and what I want to express through it."
