Design connoisseurs can never get enough of her fantastic work, spanning a vast repertory of installations, collaborations, and limited-edition collections. Aline Asmar d’Amman, architect and founder of Culture in Architecture, is about to enchant us once again with a new exhibition unveiled at Design Parade Toulon 2023, the international juried festival under the patronage of Villa Noailles. Serving as platform for showcasing emerging talents, Design Parade is punctuated by two competitions, each with its own jury and president who, besides leading the jurors is invited to stage an exhibition. Aline Asmar d’Amman presides the interior design competition held in Toulon, and as guest of honour presents “l’Amour, la Mer, les Femmes” – “Love, Women, and the Sea” – a literary journey through a poetic materiality, which evokes the power of words on our imagination in an interior architecture under influence.
Embodied by the feelings of freedom and sensuality summoned by the waves of the Mediterranean, the setting unfurls like a collection of pages to be turned, capturing in dedicated alcoves the echoes of our restless quests for beauty. Imbued with references to novels and writing through the prism of the feminine, the dreamlike decor questions the relationship to narrative objects in a play of conversations and memories. It invites sensory wonder, striking a balance between sophistication and brutalism. Featuring words and textures that blend the magic of writing with the magic of gesture, the exhibition is marked by the architect’s personal memories tied to her childhood in Lebanon and the unwavering promise of books, a protective shield and gateway to dreams. A selection of beloved books are embedded in concrete to give birth to a series of sculptural furniture pieces made of “literary concrete”. Specifically designed for this exhibition, these pieces crystallise the concept of culture as an essential framework.
Folded paper unfolds in a vast luminous ceiling piece, highlighted with gold and silver. Entire walls are covered in transformed plaster, bearing the haute couture signature of Maisons d’art Lemarié and Lognon. Suspended books are adorned with carefully chosen words for their evocative power, intricately embroidered by Lesage. The journey is a meeting with oneself, guided by mirrors that evoke a symbolic presence. It is also a path towards others, conveying the message of the “mirror of cultures,” endlessly extending the mosaic of our differences. Among the original designs on display, viewers can discover a series of “Georgia” armchairs in celestial blue, and flesh pink, interweaving with the powdered patina of the walls and contrasting against the brutalist table further ahead. A dedicated sanctuary inspired by female authors, the “writing room” sets the tone for the night-time spaces.
A blue-white hue takes hold of finely sculpted faceted blades, alternating between opacity and transparency, raw surfaces and fringed organza, all handcrafted and hand painted. Articulated wall screens are tattooed with powerful texts. Glide from the gentle light of day to the silvery shadows, from the clarity of dawn to the eroticism of night. Lie down under the “Mobile des Métiers” and fall into a state of sleep. The suspended object with its eight tentacular branches, a giant dreamcatcher, delicately holds at each end, an exquisite creation of CHANEL’s Métiers d’art from le19M. Inspired by a quote from Cocteau, “I do not know what this object is or how it appears, but I love that it exists and makes me dream,” it reflects the joy of the act of creation and its countless sleepless nights… It’s hard to sum up the sense of wonder and depth of this exhibition, we’ll take cue from Cocteau and simply say that we love it exists and makes us dream. Credit pictures: Jérémy Zaessinger
