Taking place at the beginning of March for its inaugural showcase, MATTER and SHAPE is a new exhibition bringing together the worlds of design, fashion, and artisanal craft in Paris.
Solid Nature by Sabine Marcelis which will be on display at MATTER and SHAPE. © Ed Reeve
Words by Roddy Clarke
Hoping to bring a refreshing and elevated perspective to the world of design exhibitions, Matthieu Pinet and Dan Thawley will be launching a new ‘business-focused’ design salon, MATTER and SHAPE, taking place in Paris from 1st – 4th March 2024. Pinet, who has worked in the events sector for several years, was invited by renowned event organisers WSN to evolve his platform into a physical event, which will be taking place for the first-time during Paris Fashion Week in the iconic Jardin des Tuileries.
With the show being led creatively by curator Dan Thawley, it will be presenting works across multiple disciplines from industrial to interior design, fashion, and the decorative arts. Extending an invitation to buyers, collectors, architects, journalists, students and design enthusiasts, the duo hopes to entice a wide cross-section of visitors to interact with the work on display – a unique and more intimate opportunity for exhibitors who might be accustomed to showing at larger-scale trade fairs. The showcase will be housed within a temporary 3000sqm structure in the Gardens, with a vaulted ceiling and transparent walls allowing natural light to enter to optimise the display opportunities inside. Accommodating 33 exhibitors and 10 partners, the show will have an immersive feel with common areas, a design bookstore and boutique, and a dedicated restaurant for lunch and dinner reservations led by immersive culinary experts WE ARE ONA and the Armenian-American chef Pierce Abernathy.
MATTER and SHAPE founders, Matthieu Pinet and Dan Thawley. © Celia Spenard Ko
Speaking of how the show merges the fashion and design communities, with its alignment to PREMIERE CLASS – the fashion trade show of Paris Fashion Week, Pinet says the blurring of boundaries between the two sectors is evident in recent collaborations between the leading fashion houses and top design firms. “In response to this evolution, our mission is to pioneer a unique physical event that unites these creative spheres in a way that has never been done before, offering a solution to the needs of the market,” he comments. “By inviting authentic and high-quality design and fashion companies to present their work to a diverse array of businesses and clients, we aim to establish a benchmark in the union between these two industries, right in the centre of everything, in the capital of creativity, in the heart of Paris.”
Works by Sophie Lou Jacobsen will also be on display at MATTER and SHAPE. © Sophie Lou Jacobsen
The line-up of confirmed exhibitors already promises to bring a diverse and unique perspective to the show. LA-based architect and designer Willo Perron will be designing many of the central areas such as the café island and restaurant, while RDAI, the architects from the house of Hermès will be presenting an exhibition which outlines its B2B service ‘Material Curator’. Much-loved American fashion designer Rick Owens will also be unveiling an exhibition featuring works by the French-American artist Scarlett Rouge, as well as a selection of his own decorative objects. With studios such as Formafantasma, FLOS, Bocci and Alessi also present, it is set to be an exciting and dynamic curation of design.
The Baton Collection by Ronan Bouroullec will be featuring as the Paris showcase. © Ronan Bouroullec
As exhibitions in recent years have been challenged to rethink outdated formats, as well as a drive to fight against seasonality and mass consumerism, could immersive and interactive smaller showcases such as this offer a glimpse into the sector’s future? And, with collaboration being a key to success when tackling wider issues such as sustainability, sector crossovers could provide more opportunities for exhibitions to find their place in a circular and more conscious future. While the show is yet to embark on its first chapter, it will be interesting to witness the response from both professional and public visitors to see if this offers a more inspiring and sustainable alternative to the traditional exhibition formats that are so urgently in need of change.
To find out for yourself, you can register to access MATTER and SHAPE here.
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