Pierre Paulin retrospective at Musée Fabre reveals early works and iconic designs

The Musée Fabre in Montpellier presents "Le design selon Pierre Paulin," a comprehensive retrospective of the French design pioneer, running until November 1. The exhibition highlights Paulin's early functionalist works from the 1950s, his breakthrough collaboration with Dutch manufacturer Artifort in 1958 (producing iconic pieces like the Mushroom and Ribbon chairs), and his later mass-market designs for Habitat and Allibert. Key attractions include the restored smoking room from the Élysée Palace, commissioned by President Georges Pompidou in 1969 and shown publicly for the first time since its restoration, and the immersive Vidéo Barnum installation (1985) by Paulin Paulin Paulin. The show also features unrealized utopian projects, such as the Residential Program for Herman Miller (1968-1972) and garden designs for the Palais Royal (1985). The exhibition is organized by decade and punctuated by a Space Age-themed display pairing Paulin's 1969-1970 tent prototype with André Courrèges' "Couture Future" outfits.