Matali Crasset and Peter Halley Collaborate at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

French designer Matali Crasset and American painter Peter Halley presented a joint exhibition at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris from September 15 to October 13, 2007. The collaboration began months earlier when Halley interviewed Crasset for Index Magazine. On the ground floor, Crasset created wall drawings of stylized trees and vegetation using colored pencils and mason's line, against which Halley hung a series of large abstract paintings featuring bright colors and complex geometries reminiscent of computer circuits. The rhythmic interplay of lines and fluorescent materials produced a vibrant, harmonious cartography exploring the culture-nature dichotomy. In the basement, Crasset assembled three imposing geometric forms inspired by tree stumps, functioning as a méridienne, two armchairs, and a lamp—blurring the line between design and art. Halley contributed wall drawings echoing tree bark lines that enclosed the intimate space. Both artists share an affinity for basic forms and bold colors. Halley noted that Crasset's work—its proportions, material use, and humor—is deeply connected to art. Crasset aims to strip objects of their status to propose alternatives, designing modular furniture adaptable to modern living. The exhibition highlighted their mutual interest in expressing perpetual movement and redefining spatial perception.