French government offices and ministries might just be the best place to catch a glimpse of French furniture and design old and new.

On Tuesday, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs [the French foreign ministry also known as Quai d’Orsay and Hôtel du Ministre] said that it is gearing up to host an exhibit produced by two of the most design-forward names on the French design scene: Thierry Lemaire and Russian-born, Paris-based Harry Nuriev.

In collaboration with curator Krystyna Winckler, the team is gearing up to transform the Foreign Ministry’s Hôtel du Ministre’s historic salons with an exhibit illustrating the passing on of creative culture between established and emerging artists alike. Named “Passages: Pas sages (French jargon for out of the box),” the show will unfurl as a reference to the historical passages, diplomatic ties and/or steps forward within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Forging Ties

Among the artists selected are the late Louise Bourgeois and sculptor Johan Creten. New works by Mexican artist Gabriel Guzmán, American artist Betty Woodman and Lee Ufan have been selected to commemorate France’s diplomatic anniversaries with Mexico, the United States and Korea. Together, the works showcase French craftsmanship as a tool for cultural exchange and international influence.

The exhibition brings together contemporary art, design, French craftsmanship, diplomatic archives and heritage objects, including seminal works like a piece from Bourgeois’ “Spider” series and Lemaire’s Baki sofa made of resin with cold metallization, in addition to a fireplace made of computer keyboard keys by Nuriev. Nuriev also designed a “cabinet of curiosities,” through which the Quai d’Orsay reveals a secret part of its archives, from historic treaties to diplomatic documents, surrounded by unique pieces from the Manufactures Nationales.

Nuriev is the creative behind Crosby Studios, which has sealed design projects for such varied brands as Jimmy Choo, Nike, Valentino, Baccarat, Augustinus Bader and Dover Street Market.

Lemaire is not a stranger to the elite political scene. He is the designer of the K desk used by President Emmanuel Macron. In 2020, Lemaire was commissioned to decorate the Élysée presidential residence, particularly the Salon Pompadour, the Salon la Cartographie, the Salon des Aides de Camp and the presidential office.

“In an unprecedented setting, Passages rereads the creations and artists in a timeless waltz between heritage, design and contemporary art, to sketch the forms of tomorrow,” Winckler commented.

Artistic Diplomacy

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot explained that the exhibit is also a tribute to the many creatives that have passed through French residencies abroad and sparked an encounter between cultures, and of the international influence of French creativity.

“Because diplomacy is everyone’s business, and because we want this house to belong to all French people, we are opening wide the doors of the Hôtel du Ministre to welcome artists from around the world,” he said, underscoring the exhibit coincides with major milestones like 250 years of United States independence, and the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea.

Presented in the historic salons of the ministry, this unprecedented exhibition results from a collaboration with the Manufactures Nationales — Sèvres & Mobilier National, a French public institution under the Ministry of Culture that is responsible for furnishing and decorating official state buildings, including the Palais de l’Élysée, the Hôtel de Matignon, and various French ministry offices.

Other partners include the Centre National des Arts Plastiques, a public institution that supports creative visual arts, and the Institut Français, the public organization responsible for promoting French culture, arts and the French language worldwide. The exhibit will run during Art Basel Paris from Oct. 20 to 23 and is free to the public by reservation.