Founded in 2018 to promote excellence in contemporary creation, Bel Ouvrage staged the second chapter of Collector’s Room during Maison & Objet and Paris Déco Off. Launched last October on the occasion of Design Miami/Paris, the format here confirms and deepens the platform’s curatorial vocation: to explore collectible and “tailored” design as language, experience, and critical stance. Open until 16 January, the event unfolds in an exceptional setting—the historic triplex that once served as Karl Lagerfeld’s private apartment, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, just steps away from Serge Gainsbourg’s former home. A space steeped in memory, it becomes an integral part of the exhibition’s narrative.
Following a first edition praised for its intimate approach, Collector’s Room #2 proposes a reading of design that moves beyond the object to become situation and presence. The works are never isolated; instead, they inhabit a singular domestic environment capable of bringing matter, gesture, and storytelling into dialogue. The visit thus turns into a sensorial journey – one of resonances, tensions, and interpretations – far removed from the visual accumulation typical of large-scale design fairs.
«Collector’s Room was born from a desire: to create situations in which design is not only looked at, but felt. Each contribution becomes a fragment of space, a stance,
a way of inhabiting the world» says Carole de Bona, curator and founder of Bel Ouvrage.The contribution of the exhibitors is central, embodying this expanded vision of the project. Alongside designers featured in the first edition – Charles-Emmanuel Deppierraz, Béatrice Serre, and Victor Tison – the programme welcomes new voices such as the maison Baccarat, Marta Sala Éditions, Hicham Ghandour, and Peter Donders, among others. Their diversity fuels a fertile dialogue between form, technique, and materiality.
Held in parallel with Paris’s two major design-focused events, the exhibition situates itself firmly within an international context. The next chapter of Bel Ouvrage is already scheduled for Venice, from 4 May to 20 July, coinciding with the Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art.
Photo credits: Daniel Boisson courtesy Bel Ouvrage
