There are some exceptional places that we wish would remain unchanged forever, because they seem so perfect. Guerlain‘s sumptuous Champs-Elysées boutique is one of them. This place, entirely dedicated to perfume and beauty, is so perfect that nothing seems able to break the magic of the place.
And yet, when the famous Maison Guerlain welcomes some fifteen works of contemporary art, the beauty of the place is exacerbated. A blend of genres and a journey through time, this is the recipe for success…
For the fifth year running, the Maison Guerlain will be presenting contemporary works, this time on the theme of the bee, as part of the FIAC private tour from October 21 to 24. The exhibition, entitled Bee Natural! will make full reference to the history of the House.
In 1853, Pierre-François-Guerlain created L’eau de Cologne Impériale for Empress Eugenie, a precious nectar imprisoned in a flacon foraged by sixty-nine bees, all gilded with fine gold. The bees, then symbols of the empire, also became those of Guerlain.
A century and a half later, the bee remains one of the emblems of the Maison Guerlain, which pays great attention to the use of natural materials in the manufacture of its various products. Much more than a simple return to the roots of its history and know-how, Guerlain is also looking to the future, highlighting the problems linked to an increasingly fragile and threatened biodiversity. While the disappearance of bees, pollinating insects, alarms scientists the world over, Bee Natural! offers a playful reflection on the impact of our actions on the environment.
And to do so, artists both established and emerging on the international scene have taken the floor in this exhibition curated by Caroline Messensee. Scluptures, photographs, installations, paintings… each artist has his or her own means of expression to delight us.
Ruins, 1996 - Tirage sur diasec - 230 x 126 cm - Anne et Patrick Poirier
Through the lens of their camera, Anne and Patrick Poirier capture nature’s fragility forever. A word, five letters, delicately inscribed with pollen on a flower petal… Ruins, from the Fragility series, underlines the sensitivity of our ecosystem.
Photographies – Marie Denis
In a different way, Marie Denis will evoke this fragility by imprisoning pollen in a glass bottle that can only be sprayed sparingly, squeezing a pear that echoes the equally precious Guerlain perfume bottles… This work, entitled Spray Spirit, will be created especially for the exhibition by the artist.
Deformis formositas ac formosa deformitas, 2009 - Thomas Monin
Thomas Monin, with a scultpure of Siamese beehives covered in glitter, refers to a nature already disrupted by human action.
Filette aux frelons, 2003 – Boîtier vitre, technique mixte – 127,2 x 92,8 cm – Candida Romero
Candida Romero’s romanticism emphasizes not the danger posed by man’s irreversible impact on nature, but that of such a small insect. The beauty of a smooth, childlike face gazing into the distance contrasts with the brushstrokes and blood-colored stains that bruise it, to which is added the rough appearance of the swarms of hornets that implicitly become the culprits of this attack.
To coincide with this event, Guerlain will launch in October a new anti-aging skincare line, Abeille Royale, made from royal honeys and jellies. With a focus on natural materials, Guerlain has travelled as far as Ouessant and New Zealand to gather the best of nature and offer it to women.
Although this year’s subject is less abstract and more figurative than those chosen in previous years, the exhibition is no less eclectic. After the themes of insolence, mirrors, time and love, the bee seems full of promise. Both an invitation into the past to discover the House of Guerlain and an invitation into the future, highlighting important contemporary environmental issues, the Bee Natural! exhibition is sure to be a most rewarding experience!
Photo credits:
Ruins – Anne and Patrick Poirier: ©JMG Galerie DR
Photographs – Marie Denis: ©Marie Denis
Deformis formositas ac deformitas – Thomas Monin: ©Thomas Monin
Hornet fillet – Candida Romero: ©Jacques Boulay
Other photos: ©Menel Feddal
Exhibition
Bee Natural!
From October 14 to November 9, 2010
Maison Guerlain, Parfumeur – Créateur – 68, Avenue des Champs Elysées – Paris 8ème
Romain Menei
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
