A “state of convenience and well-being, akin to pleasure to which all men naturally aspire,” is how Charles Nodier explained the notion of comfort in 1828.The concept has become omnipresent in design practice and theory. The idea of comfort is so pervasive as to be almost imperceptible. But where does this “state of convenience” come from? What form or forms does it take?The Comfort Zones exhibition at La Galerie Poirel in Nancy investigates some different ways to experience comfort, with objects by a stellar cast of designers that simultaneously serve as the set, the actors, and the props.Designs by Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson, Naoto Fukasawa, Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, Ettore Sottsas, Philippe Starck, and Sony Design, among others, will be presented in four sections.In the Office, functional objects are exhibited, those designed to improve consumers’ daily life, by relieving them of laborious tasks. From Sebastian Bergne’s Pronto hoover, to Gaetano Pesce’s coffee maker Vesuvio, these are designs for everyday life.The Reception area is a vast living room, both formal and relaxed, adorned with furniture designed to meet our needs for physical comfort and socialization. In examining the variety of positions this furniture has made possible, it also shows how notions of proper posture and appearances have changed over time.Comfort also means have your senses awakened and mind entertained. The objects in the Play Area create new functions through experimentation and storytelling: objects that do not tell you how to use them, that break codes and offer new possibilities. Designs here include Mobile #1, a multifunctional furniture piece, neither desk nor shelf, by Bless, and Tim Thom and Philippe Starck‘s leather Radio Boa.Finally, the Antechamber reflects our ambivalence toward the contemporary notion of cocooning, of searching for well-being. The objects here, such as the Eyes Cloning floor lamp by 5.5 Designers, feel strange, even threatening; a reflection of a vulnerable “risk society,” tormented by the prospect of disaster.Visitors are invited to test out different pieces of furniture on the mezzanine level, as well as experience L’Écouter, a modern-day interpretation of music room, designed by Laurent Massaloux and Jean-Yves Leloup.“Entering and leaving your comfort zone: that’s the kind of experience we are offering to the public,” says Juliette Pollet, the curator. “We invite them to turn a critical gaze on objects that run the gamut from the familiar to the unusual, and even the perverse and the upsetting. These works encourage us to examine the way we inhabit our homes and the larger world.”The objects have been selected from the design collection of Cnap (Centre national des arts plastiques). The exhibition also marks the start of a five-year partnership between the city of Nancy and Cnap, which will result in three exhibitions at Galerie Poirel, offering different perspectives on Cnap’s collection.Comfort Zones is showing through April 17, 2016 at La Galerie Poirel, Nancy.
↧