Atelier Bow-Wow
Stephan Balkenhol
Pieke Bergmans
Philippe Bradshaw
Pierre Chareau
Nitzan Cohen
Tony Cragg
Marc Duplantier
Elger Esser
El Ultimo Grito
Sylvie Fleury
Maurizio Galante & Tal Lancman
Benjamin Graindorge
Konstantin Grcic
Alex Katz
Robert Mapplethorpe
Jason Martin
Normal Studio
Eugène Printz
Felipe Ribon
Martha Rosler
Gino Sarfati
Moritz Schmid
Floris Schoonderbeek
Not Vital
Andy Warhol
Alexandra Midal
Matthieu Lelièvre
An apartment in which Art and Design room together. The visitor reproduces the movements of the seducer in La Petite Maison (The Little House), a 1758 novella by Jean-Francois de Bastide in which a libertine wagers that he can seduce a woman simply by exposing her to the beauties of his little house.
curated by Alexandra Midal and Matthieu Lelièvre
"The Marquis, who had seen how touched she already was by the beauties in the living room, had
finer things to show her and trusted she would be touched even more by more touching objects. He
took care not to prevent her from hastening to her destiny."
- Jean-François de Bastide, The Little House, 1758
With the exhibition HOME (very) SWEET HOME, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac has imagined an
apartment in which works of art and objects of decorative art are used to stimulate the
spectators' senses, their emotions, and their mood. The visitor reproduces the movements of
the seducer in La Petite Maison (The Little House), a 1758 novella by Jean-François de
Bastide in which a libertine wagers that he can seduce a woman simply by exposing her to
the beauties of his little house. As the story unfolds, the reader is shown the gradual effect
that the aesthetics of the house have on the sensual desires of the two protagonists.
To share space with material or ethereal artworks and objects sublimates qualities
associated with the body, the senses and the emotions. Our perception of our surroundings
is modified by a psycho-sensitive vibration that corresponds to the notion of 'sensuous
architecture' put forward by Condillac in his Treatise on the Sensations (1754) and by Nicolas
Le Camus de Mézières in his book The Genius of Architecture or The Analogy of that Art
with our Sensations (1780). "Let illusion reign supreme", Le Camus de Mézières writes,
echoing de Bastide's La Petite Maison, where sensuous architecture is cast in the leading
role.
The “affectations” refer to a spatial conception that emphasises emotional states and
underlines a sensuous quality in design and art capable of arousing powerful emotions. In
this domestic journey, where the frontiers between the personal sphere, topography, and
mental landscape become blurred, visitors are invited to imagine the transformations in their
identity and behaviour that are brought about by entering into dialogue with the works.
In La Petite Maison, it was the architect Jacques-François Blondel who made use of
libertinage to make architecture and the decorative arts part of the social habits and the
morals of his time. In the same spirit, HOME (very) SWEET HOME sets out to establish a
dialogue between artists and designers. The works act as a seductive accompaniment to
each visitor, whether they are hunter or prey. It is a sensual and intellectual adventure
involving both the body and the soul.
Who knows if the combination of design and art can act as an instrument of amorous
persuasion?
List of artists and designers presented (in progress):
Atelier Bow-Wow, Stephan Balkenhol, Pieke Bergmans, Philippe Bradshaw, Pierre Chareau,
Nitzan Cohen, Tony Cragg, Marc Duplantier, Elger Esser, El Ultimo Grito, Sylvie Fleury,
Maurizio Galante & Tal Lancman, Benjamin Graindorge, Konstantin Grcic, Alex Katz, Robert
Mapplethorpe, Jason Martin, Normal Studio, Eugène Printz, Felipe Ribon, Martha Rosler,
Gino Sarfati, Moritz Schmid, Floris Schoonderbeek, Not Vital, Andy Warhol...
With the collaboration of Galerie Dutko and Galerie Ymer & Malta
For Ddays, press visit on Friday 23 May from 2pm to 6pm
Opening on the same day from 6pm to 11pm
Gallery open Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 from 10pm to 7pm
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Pantin
69, avenue Général Leclerc - 93500 Pantin
Tuesday – Saturday, 10am to 7pm