In keeping with the theme “gardens of sensations”, this year the International Garden Festival is delighted to invite the Cité de la Céramique de Sèvres, which has been working on a project these past five years on the senses in partnership with the Inspection académique des Hauts-de-Seine and Centre des monuments nationaux (Domaine national de Saint-Cloud).
This programme got under way in 2006, with a view to tackling one sense a year, with the mediation of one artist each year who is familiar with Sèvres porcelain production (after designing a piece of ware there), for 8 classes a year including a class of disabled children. Every spring, this educational project blending ceramic production and history is presented at the Domaine de Saint-Cloud.
Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire will be exhibiting the five creations together for the first time – five sensory scenes imbued with the sensitivity of five artists. Smell was evoked by the perfume maker Francis Kurkdjian in the “Path of fragrances” in 2008. Taste was orchestrated in 2009 by the food designer Stéphane Bureaux who bids us sit “At the table of princes”. “Sight” was revealed by José Lévy in 2010 in “Viewpoints”. The “Within reach” project of 2011/2012 bore upon touch with the mediation of Christian Astuguevieille. Last but not least it is finally hearing’s turn to be given pride of place in 2012/2013, overseen by the composer Nicolas Frize with an ensemble that will be called “Hearsay”.
DESIGNERS
Nicolas FRIZE, composer, Stéphane BUREAUX, food designer, Francis KURKDJIAN, perfume maker, José LEVY, artist, and Christian ASTUGUEVIEILLE, visual artist
FRANCE
Nicolas Frize writes symphonic, instrumental, vocal and mixed music for sound or electroacoustic purposes. His compositions are mainly intended for concerts, but he devotes a small part of his work to dance, theatre, the film industry, videos, exhibitions and other events. He conducts research into the sounds of stringed instruments, has invented new instruments and written scores of sheet music for collections of sound artefacts – often extremely commonplace ones. He runs a cultural association “Les Musiques de la Boulangère” (founded in 1975).
Stéphane Bureaux, food designer, who graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle in 1989, also founded his own global design agency in Paris the same year. From 1993 to 2003, he headed up the design department of the Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design in Reims. As a pioneer in food design since 1997, in 2005 he was rewarded by the Agence pour la Promotion de la Création Industrielle (APCI).
His philosophy: “No subject is taboo for design, as long as the products presented convey meaning. Design should not favour one speciality over another, but take advantage of its universality.”
Francis Kurkdjian, studied at the Ecole Internationale de Parfumerie and made his very first perfume at just 25 years of age: Le Mâle for Jean-Paul Gaultier. Dozens of internationally-famed fragrances would follow for the fashion, beauty and luxury industries. In 2001, he was the first perfume maker to open his own bespoke perfume studio. He began working in partnership with other renowned artists in 2003 and since 2006 thousands of visitors have flocked to his fragrance performances in Paris, Versailles and Shanghai. Knighted as a French Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2008, a year later he founded his eponymous Maison de Parfum.
José Levy, multi-faceted artist and free spirit. By turn designer, stylist, creator, couturier, creative director, interior designer and visual artist, José Levy gave everything a go – with dazzling results – in the fashion industry before turning to the art and decorative arts sector. He has scooped several awards, including the City of Paris prize, and exhibits at the Cartier foundation. In 13 years, he has thus made his mark on the men’s fashion scene with his own line and forged a reputation as both a peerless colourist and meticulous tailor.
Since 2007, he has focused his attentions fully on this cross-cutting creative work, halfway between visual and decorative arts, by remaining true to his style in his expression.
Christian Astuguevieille never stops exploring new fields. In Beaubourg in 1977, he was asked to design an educational workshop for children and became Director of the Volumes de l’Atelier des Enfants.
He was one of the first to define creative directorship in such prestigious fashion houses as Molinard, Rochas and Nina Ricci. In the 1980s, he began to develop a project around an imaginary civilisation, producing collections of artefacts and furniture that were put on display in museums and galleries worldwide. As the creative director, he supervises some sixty perfumes made for the “Comme des Garçons” brand.
Presentation, in the children’s garden, of the showpieces made for the Cité de la Céramique has been entrusted to Jean-Marc Dimanche.
After running the V.I.T.R.I.O.L. agency for 20 years and taking part in countless image projects for big names in the Luxury industry, Jean-Marc Dimanche has now decided to amble more freely down the pathways of creation.
An artistic activator, he now focuses more than ever on publishing works of curiosity, creating gardens, staging events and exhibitions … and to everything that can convey Sense and Emotion!
