Month: December 2020

To start the year and turn the page on 2020, here is our selection of worldwide art and design events you do not want to miss in 2021! 

AD Matières d’art helps you discover talented artists and craftsmen through the presentation of their material: wood, glass, straw marquetry, bespoke wallpaper, mosaic. Those artists always go out of their comfort zone to bring modernity to traditional techniques and showcase innovative aesthetics.

Date: March 26th to April 4th, 2021

Place: Palais d’Iéna, Paris, France

The European Fine Art Fair is going to host its fourth edition in Spring 2021, with a focus on Modern and Contemporary Art & Design. Founded by art dealers in Maastricht in 1988, the fair has grown to be one of the most awaited art exhibitions. 

The historic Park Avenue Armory provides the prime Manhattan location and setting for the world’s leading art dealers to exhibit their pieces. Collectors and visitors can admire and purchase a wide range of paintings to antiques and ancient furniture and more. 

While TEFAF NY fall edition 2020 was cancelled and transformed into an online initiative, the spring edition is set for May 7-10, 2021.

Date: May 7-10, 2021

Place: Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, New York, USA

In 2021, NYCxDESIGN will present its Design Days from May the 13th to the 18th, showcasing NYC’s talented design community. The program will feature primarily virtual events, in addition to outdoor experiences, select tours, and other small gatherings, The annual NYCxDESIGN Awards program, hosted by Interior Design and sponsored by ICFF, will take place virtually to celebrate and recognize exceptional design in NYC. These Design Days also include the Design Pavilion’s Open to the Sky, a unique city-wide installation in all five boroughs of NYC.

Date: May 13-18, 2021 

Place: New York City, USA

Révélations is the unmissable event of art crafts and international contemporary creation. The fair values craftsmanship and traditional know-how from around the world. The 5th edition celebrates the African continent. It will take place in Grand Palais Éphémère at the foot of the Eiffel Tour. 

Date: June 10-13, 2021

Place: Grand Palais Ephémère, Paris, France

After being postponed several times since its initial schedule in April 2020, the Salone Internationale del Mobile di Milano will take place in Fall of 2021, September 5-10. For its 60th anniversary, this edition promises to be exceptional. The Salone is split into three categories; Classic, Design and xLux. A great place to find inspiration from the thousands of products exposed!

Date: September 5-10, 2021

Place: Milano, Italy

The twenty-year Architectural Digest Design Show has been reimagined by TheMART as the NY Luxury Design Fair. By providing access to the best in home design, it is for sure the place to go for the latest trends in luxury design. Both emerging and established talents are showcased to offer the world’s best design with a broad range of styles. An innovative and immersive design experience for designers, architects and consumers!

Date: September 9-12, 2021

Place: Javits Center, New York, USA

The 2021 Homo Faber edition welcomes Japan’s finest artisans and designs to Venice to celebrate, showcase and preserve excellence in craftsmanship. The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship organizes an extraordinary journey across the creative landscape of Europe and Japan. The Foundation fosters exchange and collaboration between the finest artisans and sponsors of bespoke creation.  

Date: September 9-26, 2021

Place: Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, Italy

The Salon Art + Design celebrates in 2021 its 10th year anniversary. More than ever, this event will bring together the finest galleries from around the world who showcase top design art from the 19th to contemporary times. Furniture, lighting, mirror, textiles and decorative pieces of the highest standards!

Date: September 11-15, 2021

Place: Park Avenue Armory, New York, USA

Key event for international design and art collectors, PAD LONDON presents 20th-century design, art, photography, collectible jewellery and decorative works. International galleries from Europe, North America and Asia come together to showcase the most exclusive pieces on the market today. Unique in its kind, the fair is enjoyed by a broad audience of passionates and experts. The fair also takes place in Paris in April 2021. 

Date: October 4-10, 2021

Place: Berkeley Square W1, London, UK

The International Contemporary Furniture Fair has been recognized as North America’s leading platform for global design. Each year, the ICFF welcomes international exhibitors, established brands and emerging designers, retailers, developers and architects, showcasing the next trends for contemporary residential and commercial interiors.

In 2021, ICFF and Wanted Design Manhattan will co-locate with Boutique Design New York and The Hotel Experience at the Javits Center in November 2021.

Date: November 14-15, 2021 

Place: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center 429 11th Avenue, New York, USA

Born in Turkey, educated in the US, living in the UK, and working on projects all around the world, Nebihe is truly a multi-cultural designer. After graduating from the prestigious Parsons the New school of Design, she focused on high-end retail, working for Michael Kors for many years. In 2016, Nebihe decided to found the eponymous design studio in London, Nebihe Cihan Studio. She designs refined and sophisticated interiors for clients around the world, and infuses her projects with this multiculturality she benefited from her extensive travel, making them particularly interesting and atypical. Art lover, Nebihe always tries to include some art pieces in her projects. She is constantly looking forward to discovering new artworks  or vintage furniture during her many travels in Europe or in the United States

As a French collective promoting cultural synergies in the world of design, Par Excellence jumped on the occasion to discover this rich and talented personality.  

>> Discover the website

Nebihe, I understand that you come from Turkey and used to live in NYC, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your career path?

I was born in Turkey. I moved to the US at a young age to go to boarding school. Initially, I went to university for Economics and Finance in Boston. After graduating from university, I decided to change my career path as I realized I had other passions. I moved to NYC and went to graduate school to study Interior Design at Parsons the New School for Design. When I was studying at Parsons, I did various internships, last one being for the French designer Catherine Malandrino who I ended up working for two years after my graduation. In 2011, Michael Kors had a huge expansion plan to open retail stores and wholesale shops around the world and they were recruiting for architects and interior designers to expand their in-house Store Design team. I then joined the Michael Kors Store Design team where I worked for five years designing stores around the world. I had the opportunity to work with some of the most successful people in the fashion industry. I learnt so much at Michael Kors, it was the best school I have ever attended. Although I loved NYC and my job, my dream was always to have my own design firm one day and move back to Europe. I moved to London in August 2016 and started my interior design studio. I now split my time between the UK and US due to my projects. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

The best part of what I do is collaborating with my clients, working with amazing designers and artists. The client’s brief is always on the top of my list. I spend a lot of time with my clients to understand their lifestyle and how they live in order to deliver them a successful project that they are happy with. I love visiting antique stores, flea markets, and galleries. I am always hunting for new things even when I am not hunting.

How would you define your style prior to the creation of your own company vs. now that you’ve created your own design company? 

I think my style is constantly evolving. At the core of my aesthetic, were always clean lines, attention to detail and rich and sophisticated finishes. I have always been drawn to timeless design. Prior to creating my own company, I was not brave to experiment with vivid colors, I tend to stick to neutral palettes and preferred more a contemporary approach to things. As I take on different projects, I tailor and adapt my style to client’s needs. I am experimenting more with colors, forms and materiality. I collect a lot of vintage furniture and I work to incorporate these pieces into my projects and mix them with the contemporary. 

The entry of a London pied-à-terre designed by Nebihe Cihan Studio. The Paonazzo marble console and armchair were both designed by Nebihe Cihan Studio. ©Stephane Julliard

How important is craftsmanship to you and how do you integrate it into your creative process? 

Craftsmanship is everything to me. If your design is poorly executed and lacks quality, no matter how well it is designed, the project can be a failure. In my opinion a good design should last, therefore I do not like to sacrifice from quality in my designs. Having built stores globally for Michael Kors, I worked with millworkers from all around the world; USA, China, Singapore, Poland, Turkey, Italy, France and Spain. My eye is trained to pick up details and I am also very knowledgeable about costs. If we are developing a new millwork or upholstery detail, I make sure to request prototypes always. I don’t work with factories if they don’t provide us with shop drawings for example. Before shipping to site, I always visit the factories and do a final quality check. With production, I don’t like taking risks therefore I only work with craftsmen I trust. I have very close relationships with the factories we work with. 

How is working for high-end retail different from working on residential projects?

Designing homes is a lot personal and intimate. You forge a bond with your client, based on trust, they trust in your talent to bring their vision to fruition. There are more emotions involved with residential projects so you have to be careful with managing the client’s expectations. Budget is usually flexible and bigger per square foot. There is more room for creativity compared to designing a retail store. On the other hand, designing a retail store is niche and a strategy. You have to design an experience for the customer to enjoy but also stay true to the brand’s identity. There is always a strict budget and a hard opening date. Designing a beautiful interior is important but you have to make sure that your design houses the required display capacity on the shop floor and in the back stock for the brand to reach their sales volume. The lifecycle of designing a retail store is shorter than a residential project. Therefore, you need to be prepared to work under pressure. Majority of my projects at the moment are residential projects, however I still take on retail projects as it is my strength. 

Bel Air Residence designed by Nebihe Cihan Studio. Nebihe chose natural materials and colors to fit with the surroundings and create a continuity with the outside. In the living room, you can spot the surrealistic black marble ‘Ocean Memories’ bench by Mathieu Lehanneur. Around the house, Nebihe included a selection of art pieces such as the Annie Morris Strack 8 sculpture. ©Matt Harrington

I read that the architecture of a building is a major source of inspiration for your project, where else do you get your inspiration from? 

I am truly inspired by my extensive travel, my love of art and a keen interest in history but I must say travel is really the biggest. Sometimes when I am stuck on a project and need inspiration, I jump onto the first Eurostar train in the morning and go to Paris or Brussels to visit antique stores, furniture galleries and come back to London the same evening. 

You seem to be very sensitive to fine art, how do you manage to always perfectly integrate artwork in your design?

Art has always been a passion for me. I try to attend all the important art fairs around the world, whether I am shopping for a project or not, I like to train my eye. Having worked for clients who are art collectors taught me a lot. One client asked me to help them curate their art collection from scratch for a project. They gave me a list of artists that they like and asked me to present them with a selection of works for the project. Selecting the pieces was the fun part as I knew their taste but placing the artwork around the house was more challenging than I thought. I integrate artwork in all of my projects now, I think you get better as you do it. It is all about practice and training your eye. 

As a NYC-based agency, we are in awe with your project in Park Avenue, NYC. Could you please tell us a bit more about this project?  

Rising at an impressive 1,396 feet, the architect, Rafael Vinoly, set the scene with 12’6’’ high ceilings and vast, 10 ft by 10 ft windows featuring unparalleled views of New York City and Central Park. The high ceilings and vast layout lent itself to showcasing an extensive art collection. It was imperative to the client, that there was a symbiosis between the artwork and the interiors. As a result, the art really set the tone for the interiors and added character, with vivid touches of colour. I was careful to choose furnishing that complemented the artwork with neutral tones and rich finishings, as not to detract from the art or spectacular views. My client is a modern art collector and has a large collection of works. However, for this project he wanted to curate it with me from scratch, we did not select works from his existing collection. Instead, I sourced all artwork from Lisson Gallery, Sean Kelly Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery, White Cube Gallery and Galerie Perrotin. The greatest challenge was to marry the artwork with the furnishings. I actually worked with my client to curate all the artwork for this project first, before sourcing the furniture. I usually integrate the artwork at the end of a project, therefore this was different in terms of what I had done in the past, however I really enjoyed the challenge.

Park Avenue residence designed by Nebihe Cihan. Sculptures, paintings and other pieces of art are perfectly integrated throughout the home with elegance and minimalism. ©Matt Harrington

You have lived in so many cities with very different vibes. Which one awakens your creativity the most?

It is hard to pick one as I am truly inspired by so many cities but I can say that Europe and NYC excite me the most. I never lived in Paris but I spend a lot of time there for work. I lived in Florence for a short period of time when I studied Art History and I visit Milan often for work. I am constantly high on inspiration when I am in Paris and in Italy, these are the most inspirational places in the world for me. On the other hand, NYC has such an energy and vibe as a city. I feel like a different person when I am in NYC, the most motivated version of myself. Having lived in three continents, I can say that there is really no place like New York!

Your career path is impressive! What is next for you now? Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to share with us? 

Thank you! I am currently designing a retail store in Miami at Bal Harbour Shops for a Parisian jewelry brand. It will be the brand’s first retail location in the US and it happens to be at my favorite mall. Next big project I have, to begin as of early 2021, is a private villa in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It will be my studio’s first venture in Saudi Arabia, where I have good clients and many friends from. I am always excited to start a project in a new territory.  

While the current health crisis still prevents us from traveling, we want to bring you on a virtual escape to the best online exhibitions worldwide!

David Hockney’s Sweet Normandy

Through this virtual exhibition, the famous British painter presents a joyful and colorful look at Normandy, a region in France that he loves so much. 

Since October 15th, Galerie Lelong & Co. has devoted a new exhibition to David Hockney, “Ma Normandie”, in which he tells the story of springs spent in Calvados through his paintings. Initially scheduled until December 23rd, the gallery extends the exhibition until February 27th and also offers to discover it in virtual version while waiting for its reopening. 

David Hockney : Ma Normandie – Nouvelles Peintures

Galerie Lelong & Co

The virtual tour of the exhibition can be found on the gallery’s website.

Joan Miró at the Centre Pompidou in Paris

The Parisian museum Centre Pompidou is hosting a virtual exhibition dedicated to Joan Miró on its online platform. A dive into the dreamlike world of the Catalan painter around his triptych “Blue I, Blue II, Blue III” painted in 1961.

All three paintings have been preserved by the Centre Pompidou since 1993 and were restored in 2016 before being hung for the first time in its galleries. Conceived in collaboration with WAOLab, an agency specialized in 3D digitization of works, objects and space, this entirely virtual exhibition allows a better understanding of the origin and artistic importance of these three paintings.

Joan Miró

Centre Pompidou

The Miró virtual tour proposed by the Centre Pompidou.

Frida Kahlo: Photographic Portraits by Bernard Silberstein

This collaboration between the Cincinnati Art Museum and the University of Cincinnati centers on Bernard Silberstein’s portraits of celebrated Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Bernard Silberstein photographed Frida Kahlo on a few occasions in the early 1940s, often depicting her in the rooms of Casa Azul, her home in Coyoacán, Mexico. Discover this series of pictures following Frida Kahlo’s life. 

Frida Kahlo

Cincinnati Art Museum 

The online exhibition can be found here.

Let’s Get Lost, Jim McHugh

Renowned for his artist portraits of Ed Ruscha, John Baldessari and David Hockney, Jim McHugh is also known for his Polaroid series “Let’s Get Lost”, revealing a nocturnal Los Angeles filled with old buildings of forgotten beauty. The online art platform 28 Vignon Street is devoting a virtual exhibition to Jim McHugh. Let’s Get Lost is a traveling photographic exhibit of beautiful photographic prints that evoke the 1930s and 1940s. 

Jim McHugh

28 Vignon Street

Jim McHugh’s online exhibition.

The Daring Diagonal Virtual Museum

Recently launched, the Daring Diagonal Virtual Museum is a very unique experience. Despite its digital format, the online museum offers an imaginary museum floor plan through which visitors can wander. They have access to separate virtual galleries, that are organized by disciplines and themes or by chronology. There are sections devoted to architecture, fine arts, landscape design, interior design, and more. 

The Daring Diagonal Virtual Museum

Discover the online museum here.

Specialized in the restoration and creation of mural decors, Atelier de Ricou perpetuates the beauty of Historic Monuments and the art of creating painted decors. A know-how that Signatures Singulières Magazine wishes to highlight.

Above: Cyril and Stéphanie de Ricou. Right: bases and capitals of the pilasters of the Ballroom of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York.

Born in 1989, l’Atelier de Ricou creates custom-made luxurious decors. Cyril and Stéphanie de Ricou founded the workshop when they met. With their two distinct skills, the magic happens. On the one hand, the creation of painted decors, on the other hand, the restoration of paintings and sculptures for Historical Monuments. At the dawn of their careers, the two founders benefited from the teaching of personalities from the art world. Michel Bourbon and M-L de C, art restorers, and Lila de Nobili, theater decorator. As true mentors, they offered Cyril and Stéphanie a valuable background. Today, the two aesthetes continue to enrich their experience over the years and pass it on in turn. With their workshop, they lead a team of several dozen decorating specialists. Together, they work towards a common goal: to awaken the spirit of prestigious places.

A workshop with many talents

It is in Courbevoie, in the heart of the Hotel de Guines, classified as a historical monument, that the Atelier de Ricou works and draws its inspiration. In this former residence and workshop of the sculptor and ornamentalist Jean-Baptiste Boiston, painters, sculptors, restorers, gilders and architectural historians work in symbiosis. With their in-depth knowledge, they work on the preservation and perpetuation of mural decorations. To their credit, no less than three hundred projects have been completed, testifying the variety of techniques, styles and materials used. The Atelier has undertaken renovation works for the Palace of Versailles, Hotel Lutetia, Hotel le Crillon and Hotel de la Marine, and they also worked on the creation of modern decors for penthouses, villas, duplexes and headquarters in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles and Switzerland.

Painted decors and international historical monuments

Atelier de Ricou’s know-how is put to the fore and shines throughout their projects worldwide. Moreover, the Atelier is also present in New York, within the collective and showroom “Par Excellence”.  Created by Charles Jouffre, this collective represents French know-how across the Atlantic. In addition, Atelier de Ricou is supported by a design office that seeks to develop customized plastic solutions, specific to each project. They also have a unit dedicated to the analysis of ancient decors in order to establish precise diagnoses. Each project is unique! As for the so-called “technical” know-how, specialists of all kinds work hand in hand. Fresco, molding, patinas, material effects, trompe l’oeil, gilding, French lacquer, skin glue painting, stucco, marble… They know how to do it all. The team is furthermore reinforced by specialized restorers with the “Musées de France” accreditation. Thus, the workshop can intervene on sites classified as Historic Monuments.

Atelier de Ricou’s workshop: from painting restoration to pure creation

The supports and techniques mastered by Atelier de Ricou are numerous. From the restoration to the creation of painted decorations, their range of techniques is wide. Thus, the workshop can be in charge of the most complex projects. They can take care of large-scale building sites’ restoration, mural painting, painting on canvas, whitewash, gilding, polychrome or gilded woodwork, gypsum, cardboard … The supports and techniques mastered by the talents of the Atelier de Ricou have no limits. They also create a lot of decors. This specialty can lead to the creation and restitution of decors in historical settings. To do so, the workshop uses specific techniques (including rare and disappeared ones). But it can also include the creation of fully custom-made contemporary sets. Atelier de Ricou has no limits and distinguishes itself in the path of excellence. A work hailed by Signatures Singulières Magazine.

Atelier de Ricou
51, rue de Visien
92400 Courbevoie
Tél. : +33 (0)1 46 91 07 55
www.atelierdericou.com