Curated in collaboration with the Perriand family and the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Design Museum exhibition falls on the 25th anniversary of the designer’s last significant presentation in London, held at the Design Museum in 1996. As a female pioneer of modernist design, Perriand’s work was often overshadowed by her more famous male collaborators, who included Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Jean Prouvé. However, in recent years her reputation as a furniture designer and architect has matched the stature of her peers – her furniture in particular has become highly prized by collectors.
The exhibition is divided into three sections: "The Age of Machines", "Nature" and "The Synthesis of the Arts, and Modular Design for Modern Life". Beginning with the design of his studio apartment in Saint-Sulpice, Paris, the exhibition shows Perriand's early mastery of metal furniture design before joining Le Corbusier's studio. Also on display were the notebooks in which he developed the tubular steel furniture designed with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, which would define the Modern Movement of the 1920s. Transported to the world of Perriand, the visitor can sit in recreations of the interior of the Salon de Autumn 1929, rebuilt by Cassina, and the London branch of the Air France office designed in 1957.
The exhibition is divided into three sections: "The Age of Machines", "Nature" and "The Synthesis of the Arts, and Modular Design for Modern Life". Beginning with the design of his studio apartment in Saint-Sulpice, Paris, the exhibition shows Perriand's early mastery of metal furniture design before joining Le Corbusier's studio. Also on display were the notebooks in which he developed the tubular steel furniture designed with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, which would define the Modern Movement of the 1920s. Transported to the world of Perriand, the visitor can sit in recreations of the interior of the Salon de Autumn 1929, rebuilt by Cassina, and the London branch of the Air France office designed in 1957.
“Dwellings should be designed not only to satisfy material specifications; they should also create conditions that foster harmonious balance and spiritual freedom in people’s lives.”
Charlotte Perriand
“Charlotte Perriand was a hugely influential figure in design. Her life spanned the twentieth century and her career reflects the twists and turns of the modernist movement. Yes, she was long overshadowed by her male counterparts, but this exhibition presents her not just as a brilliant designer who deserves wider recognition – she was also a natural collaborator and synthesiser. There is so much to admire not just in her work but in the way she lived her life.”
Justin McGuirk, Chief Curator
The exhibition charts Perriand’s shift from machine aesthetic to wooden natural forms. Collecting and photographing found objects in nature, her work begins to assume an organic quality from the late 1930s. Later she displays her vision of how art, design and architecture come together in the interior through her notion of the ‘synthesis of the arts’. This personal manifesto is represented through items from her 1955 exhibition of the same name in Tokyo, drawing on her collaborations and friendships with Le Corbusier and Fernand Léger.
The visitor will be able to explore Perriand's development of more affordable and adaptable modular interior designs. Modular furniture systems were seen as the way to go during the rebuilding of post-war Europe. In that sense, Perriand designed his iconic libraries, or bookstores, to be manufactured by Jean Prouvé's metal workshop. Originally applied to student residences such as the Maison du Mexique, recreated in the exhibition, these egalitarian metal shelves have ironically become highly prized collectibles.
“Better to spend a day in the sun than to spend it dusting our useless objects.”
Charlotte Perriand
Charlotte Perriand
Perriand was a keen hiker and skier, and the exhibition traces her love of travel and the outdoors in her work. It delves into her architecture, which mostly catered to the growing demand for leisure and tourism, especially in her beloved mountains. Through architectural models, photographs and sketches, it is shown how Perriand sought to make the pleasures of nature accessible. The exhibition culminates in her grandest architectural project, the Les Arcs ski resort in France. Developed over two decades, this resort for 30,000 skiers called for easily transportable components to be prefabricated, and drew on all of her creative and collaborative skills. The visitor will be able to take a virtual tour of the resort and see how the buildings fit seamlessly with the contours of the mountainside, and how Perriand makes thousands of mini apartments feel warm and generous.
Charlotte Perriand: The Modern Life opens on Saturday 19 June 2021 at the Design Museum. Early bird ticket vouchers for this exhibition are available to book now. The exhibition will be accompanied by an audio tour available on the free Bloomberg Connects App featuring interviews and insights from designers and architects who have been inspired by her work. To download, visit the Apple App or Google Play stores and search “Bloomberg Connects”.
