For the second edition of Dubai Design Week, the cultural department of the French Embassy, the Institut Francais, will stage 20 Icons of French Design, an exhibition presenting the most emblematic design creations which have both had an impact on French daily lifestyle and received international acclaim.
For the second edition of Dubai Design Week, the cultural department of the French Embassy, the Institut Francais, will stage 20 Icons of French Design, an exhibition presenting the most emblematic design creations which have both had an impact on French daily lifestyle and received international acclaim.
From Philippe Starck’s Juicy Salif lemon squeezer for Alessi to Massonet’s Tam-Tam seat, Perrier’s glass and the BIC pen, each of these icons of design, French par excellence, took advantage of technological innovations to break conventions, renew the aesthetic mood and lift social norms.
This capsule collection collection of classics spans almost a century. The B306 chaise longue by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, presented to the public at the Salon d’Automne in 1928, became one of the prototypes for modern, ergonomic furniture. The Fifties proved a prolific time for French designers and is represented by the innovative Chaise Standard by Jean Prouvé; the BIC biro designed by Marcel Bich, which is still in production with 14 million made every day; and the Cocotte-minute pressure cooker by Seb which transformed a culinary method used by the Chinese for 3,000 years into a cult object for the kitchen.
The exhibition aims to explore the relationship between the image and the consumer raising questions such as: what transforms an object into an icon? History? Commercial success? Notoreity? The opinion of the aficionados?
20 Icons of French Design invites the visitor to discover the key items of French design since 1920s, passing by seats of all kinds, the art of living a la francaise, mass-produced utilitarian tools and modes of transport.
Running parallel to this exhibition of iconic design from France, will be Global Grad Show in which graduates from renowned French design schools will present their design and innovation projects amongst the 145 projects on show. Capture the past, present and future of French design during Dubai Design Week.
Visit: 20 Icons of French Design, Dubai Design District (building 7, R01) | Global Grad Show (building 6, atrium)