Paris, France —A desk transformed into an underwater world. Bright lights big city bedside tables. A fine fabric-filled gazebo. Two contemporary art exhibitions are being played out at the Mobilier national blending contemporary art with the elegant past and fast of the French national furniture collection. The visitor can discover 53 works that have been metamorphosed by some 39 contemporary creators entitled Les Aliénés du Mobilier national (The Alienated of the National Furniture Guard) while enjoying a Carte Blanche installment by artist and designer Harry Nuriev of an exquisite gazebo paying tribute to the national tapestry manufacture and the collections of this prestigious institution that is the Mobilier national. 

The Mobilier National (the Former Crown Furniture Guard), a former furniture storage unit for the monarchy created in 1663 by Louis XIV and his First Minister of State Jean-Baptise Colbert, is in charge of the furniture of the official palaces of the Republic, ministries and other state-owned properties. It also houses the National Tapestry Manufacture, in continuous operation at the Gobelins since the 17th century.

In the Galerie des Gobelins, the installation work by Harry Nuriev, shown within the context of Miami Design Week in Paris, juxtaposes the 17th century tapestries of the Mobilier national with modern elements created by the artist offering an immersive journey into the art of textile of today and yesteryear. Meanwhile his installation work within the context of the Aliénés du Mobilier national exhibition of 39 contemporary artists presents a silvery library replete with couches and a structure built from chairs that have been de-commissioned by the Mobiler national.

Meanwhile the exhibition Les Aliénés du Mobilier national or the Alienated Ones of the National Furniture Guard is a prime example of how the decorative arts continually re-invent themselves. The national institution offers up pieces from the 19th and 20th century furniture collections that have been decommissioned (upon the opinion of a scientific committee) and turned over to contemporary artists to breath new life into them. This ecological approach also instills the collections with a new value.

Left: A new take on this lanterne from the Mobilier national by Céline Bachelot. Photo ©Isabelle Bideau. Mobilier national. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette. Right: Another new take on another lanterne from the Mobilier national by Nathanael Le Berre. Photo ©Isabelle Bideau. Mobilier national. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette

The Mobilier National is part of the Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins, whose history dates back to the 15th century, and which has occupied the current site since the 17th century. Guided tours are available. Production in the workshops never stopped. In 1937, the two entities, as well as the manufactures of Beauvais (tapestries) and Savonnerie (carpets), were grouped together on the historic site of the Gobelins. The collections consist of around 200,000 pieces and have exceptional value. Some of the pieces are exhibited in the Galerie des Gobelins (1914) where temporary exhibitions are also held including both ancient and contemporary creations. Temporary exhibitions until January 7th. 42 avenue des Gobelins, 75013 Paris, France. https://www.mobiliernational.culture.gouv.fr/fr  ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette