Summer in Toulon

The Summer exhibitions in Toulon organised by the villa Noailles will this year offer an overview of the decorative arts from the post-war period to the most contemporary of propositions. This to happily look forward to in the next edition of Design Parade which has been postponed until 2021.

This chronological journey will open through a presentation of rare and exceptional works at the Galerie du Canon, which bear witness to the artistic frenzy of the post-war period and the reconstruction of the port in Toulon. The tapestries of Henri Pertus and Gilbert Louage, as well as a ceramic panel by Jean-Gérard Mattio and Christiane Carielle, created for the headquarters of Caisse d’Épargne (constructed in 1969), attest to the vitality of these local decorative arts. Important public commissions follow to bandage the wounds of a town that was heavily hit by the bombings, marking a turning point in the history of town planning and architecture. The architects Jean de Mailly, Alfred Henry, Serge Mikélian notably, alongside Mattio and the most important post-war designers (Charlotte Perriand, Eero Saarinen) redrew the silhouette of the harbour according to the principles of Modernism. The photographs of the construction work by Willy Maywald, along with contemporary views by Olivier Amsellem, Camille Vivier, Joël Tettamanti and Léopold Trouillas highlight this unique heritage.

The photographic work of François Halard, presented at the Hôtel des arts, will also return to some of these buildings which are the most emblematic of the period. The exhibition will also offer a modern perspective upon these important undertakings, and most notably upon the collaboration between Alfred Henry and Jean-Gérard Mattio for the construction and decoration of the swimming pool at Port Marchand (1970-1972).

At the former bishop’s palace, the programme will revolve around the works of two contemporary designers and artists Matthieu Cossé and Benoît Maire. The first is a former student of the Atelier de Sèvres, focusing in particular upon ceramics in a rich and joyous palette. The second, whose creations exist on the frontier between design and contemporary art, will present — amongst other things — a series of chairs that will decorate an architecture which has traversed all of the town’s history.

The artist Alexandre Benjamin Navet will provide the link between these offerings by participating in all three location: in the Rue des arts, he will offer a series of compositions inspired by Toulon’s heritage, he will entirely cover the facade of the Hôtel des arts and will create a fresco which will adorn the four walls of the courtyard at the former bishop’s palace.

Stage designers invited :
Les Crafties, Design Parade’s contest finalists 2018.