“Made In Situ, manifeste d’un cheminement” par Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance

Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance’s work develops through dialogue with craftsmen and “métiers d’art”. This approach took on even greater depth, when Noé, in 2017, chose to relocate to Lisbon to a particularly rich natural environment close to hand. Here, he envisions living in contact with the elements such as the ocean, a source of inspiration ever present since his debuts as a designer. First home from home, it was in Portugal that Made In Situ put down its roots.
A clear and compelling manifesto, Made In Situ places meaning back at the heart of the design process. Rejecting overproduction, the goal is to engage with a particular location, its materials, its vernacular savoir-faire, and the craftspeople who create it.

“ I wanted to be in direct contact with materials and find renewed meaning in a profession that is often out of touch with our everyday lives. ”
With each new chapter, Made In Situ explores Portugal’s geological, artisanal, economic and cultural landscapes – Noé approaches them without preconceptions and then allows for questioning. Everything is examined through the prism of the designer’s eye so that each discovery can become the starting point for new collections of contextualised objects, underlining the importance of “making” in harmony with the territory.
“Made In Situ is a holistic approach, a way of developing projects that enhance craftsmanship through thinking outside the box.”

Over the years, Made In Situ has given rise to a rich opus of work:
“Barro Negro” showcases black ceramics from the Tondela region and the traditional ritual of soenga, a method of clay firing in the ground. “Burnt Cork” brings a new perspective to the cork oak tree in the Algarve, a tree that is innately resilient to fires – such as the wildfires that devastated Portugal in the summer of 2017, a dramatic time which coincided with Noé’s arrival.
“Azulejos”, crafted in the historic workshops of Viuva Lamego, infuses ceramic tiles with a new resonance through the representation of the Atlantic coastline from Noé’s native Brittany to Portugal, where he now lives. Next is a furniture range in which azulejos tiles are set within chestnut wood; Memory of Island takes shape to the rhythm of weathered reliefs, capturing fragments of Noé’s memories over time.
“Bronze & Beeswax” in turn, combines bronze sculpted into candleholders – in a foundry that makes boat propellers in Peniche – with beeswax candles.

Unveiled in June at the villa Noailles, “Oak & Cork” is the first Made in Situ opus in France. Focusing on the cork oak tree from the massif des Maures, the collection brings together the brute, sinuous wood and its distinctive cork bark – a symbiosis that (re)enhances the natural, economic and human ecosystem of the Var.
The exhibition marks a new chapter for Made In Situ, namely the first French exploration. Made In Situ, an exploration of a journey has its origins in the very definition of the Latin locution “in situ”, a direct reference to design as a means of reconnecting with what exists around us. The associated drawings, texts, photographs and films play an important role in understanding the creative process; these artifacts become the recorded memory of the experiences generated by the project. Going beyond the object itself, this journey testifies to a holistic and mindful approach, which is reflected in the immersive scenography designed for the villa Noailles. Echoing the essence of the collections, the space is filled with noble, timeless materials, sounds, aromas and images. Visitors are immersed in a sensorial world of materials such as black cork from the north of the Alentejo, woven linen from Belgium, Provence cane, and hand-patinated sienna tiles from Raujolles, all conducive to the discovery of new geographies. They embody markers of local uniqueness and attest to a commitment to sustainability, through a second life offered once the exhibition is over.
The collections and works can be discovered, in situ, like authentic travel diaries, each one with its own
distinctive features.

“My creative approach lies at the crossroads of space design, object creation and the visual arts. I want to get away from the constraints of production and rationality: for me, each project is an opportunity to write a unique scenario which, nourished by a particular use, form, material and/or aesthetic, creates a close connection with the context of the project.”

Exhibition produced in partnership with:
« Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp », Sofalca, Agglolux CBL, Forêt Modèle de Provence, Goulven Delisle, Create.