Bouroullec brothers create a ‘Circus’ at Philadelphia Museum of Art

‘Circus: Bouroullec Designs’ by French designers and brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec is currently exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A carnival of sumptuous colours and atypical shapes and compositions, the installations come together to aptly conform to the name given to the exhibition. Curated by Jack Hinton, Henry P. McIlhenny Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture, in partnership with Jillian Matthews, the exhibition will remain open to the public until 30th May 2022.

“Our aim is to give a new sense of magic to the places where we walk, meet and talk. The scenarios we develop should consequently be both pragmatic and poetic,” share the Bouroullec brothers.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, separated by a gap of five years, started their joint practice in Paris in 1998 after completing their education at the École supérieure des Arts décoratifs in Paris and École Nationale supérieure des Arts in Cergy respectively. A career spanning two decades, their portfolio includes a wide range of indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting, textiles, jewellery, ceramics and glass as well as large scale urban projects, and artistic and sculptural installations that have been exhibited at renowned galleries and are included in the permanent collection of some of the most prominent museums around the world.

The works by the design duo are guided by a desire to create spaces that offer pleasurable experiences and a chance to establish a deeper connection with that place through their design. Everything from the form and arrangement of the elements that characterise their designs to the colours and textures of the materials used are carefully selected to induce a sense of wonder amongst its users and spectators.

Their current exhibition ‘Circus: Bouroullec Designs’ explores similar themes; just like a circus offers its visitors fantastical and unexpected experiences, the exhibition, too, aims to surprise its spectators with whimsical and intriguing installations at every corner. Comprising projects by the brothers designed in the past decade, the exhibition enounces an extensive body of work, including bespoke furniture pieces as well as decorative sculptural installations that utilise geometrical patterns while offering equal parts of aesthetic and intrigue.

The installations dissociate themselves from the high-production mass-produced items while highlighting the handmade charisma of minute imperfections that add a sense of charm to it.

Some of the objects that are displayed as part of the exhibition include Clouds, the Algues screen, the Alcova Collection, Miroir, the Semis Rug, L’Oiseau, Ovale Cutlery and Salad set, Nuage Vases, Lighthouse Table Light, Steelwood Chair, Rope Chair, AIM Pendant Lights, Erkkeri Vase, Nesting Table, Osso Chair, Pico Tiles, Kaari Desk and Wakabayashi Vase.

‘Clouds’, perhaps the most intriguing and evocative piece in the showcase, is a flexible wall hanging piece that can alternatively be used as a room partition. Made out of 370 tiles of felted fabric that are joined using elastic bands, the piece is flexible enough to be arranged in the desired form. Another interesting installation called ‘Algues’ Screen appears like a coloured web, encapsulating its viewers. The shifting transparency and density of the lace-like structure add to its complexity.

The ‘Alcova’ collection, created in 2018 by the designer duo for WonderGlass, comprises a series of cylindrical vessels coupled with rectilinear stands that function like background frames for the vessels. Characterised by bubbles trapped within the glass pieces as a result of the fabrication process, these objects appear like rippling liquids suspended mid-air. The furniture pieces in the exhibit are simplistic utilitarian pieces with an edge. Composed of uniquely diverse materials, each chair or table exudes a subtle dynamism, enough to attract attention.

The ‘Circus: Bouroullec Designs’ exhibition by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec will stay open from 20 November 2021 to 30 May 2022 at the Collab Gallery 219 in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130, United States.