Two Paris Exhibitions Explore Bauhaus Legacy and Jean Nouvel's Design

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is hosting two concurrent exhibitions: 'L’esprit du Bauhaus' (until February 26, 2017) and 'Jean Nouvel, mes meubles d’architecte. Sens et essence' (until February 12, 2017). Curated by Anne Monier, the Bauhaus show emphasizes the school as a site of transmission, experimentation, and creation, tracing its influences from medieval cathedrals to Asian arts, English Arts and Crafts, and Viennese Wiener Werkstätte. It covers the school's history from 1919 to 1933, including its moves from Weimar to Dessau to Berlin, and features works by masters like Walter Gropius, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Marcel Breuer. A contemporary section, curated by artist Mathieu Mercier, includes 49 artists born after 1960, such as Tatiana Trouvé, Jean-Pascal Flavien, Bojan Šarčević, Liam Gillick, Joe Scanlan, and Franck Scurti. The Jean Nouvel exhibition showcases the architect's furniture designs, including pieces for Louvre Abu Dhabi, Gagosian Gallery, and Galerie Patrick Seguin, emphasizing his concept of 'anti-design' and 'zero design.' Nouvel's work dialogues with the museum's medieval, Renaissance, and 18th-century collections. The exhibitions highlight the enduring influence of Bauhaus and Nouvel's architectural approach to design.