AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 OBJECTS

From November 26, 2024, to February 23, 2025, the Atelier Grognard in Rueil-Malmaison presents the exhibition “Around the World in 80 Objects,” conceived by the Domaine de Boisbuchet. Visitors are invited to observe the world and its cultural diversity through the unique lens of objects. Carefully curated references to designers such as Starck, Verner Panton, the Campana Brothers, Juan Kurchan, Antonio Bonet, Ron Arad, and Russel Wright enrich the exhibition, which explores design from perspectives that appeal to a broad audience.

Masterpieces and Everyday Objects

Accompanied by richly illustrated texts, 80 objects collected from over 40 countries by Alexander von Vegesack, the founder of Domaine de Boisbuchet, allow visitors to discover stories from the past and those that have only just emerged. These objects are as much renowned masterpieces as they are everyday items. They are contextualized in both scientific and more personal ways. Visitors will sometimes marvel at the functionality of these objects, sometimes at the techniques used to make them, and sometimes, quite simply, at their beauty.

Alexander von Vegesack. Photo: CIRECA

A Reflection on the Distinction Between Design, Art, and Craft

The exhibition primarily explores the unique value that objects hold as entities in their own right: their dual role as witnesses to history and as catalysts for new stories. Naturally, they reveal and explain the wonders of cultural diversity, prompting us to question judgment and prejudice, as well as the difference between copy and original. Industrial products with unknown origins today coexist with unique creations by famous designers and everyday items crafted individually or collectively with traditional local skills. This simultaneity raises questions about the differentiation between design, art, and craft.

Above all, this “Around the World in 80 Objects” exhibition invites discovery itself, with a sense of wonder, intrigue, or curiosity, and the joy of crafting one’s own perspective on the world.

Atelier Grognard —  6 Av. du Château de la Malmaison, Rueil-Malmaison
Curated by Alexander von Vegesack, Mathias Schwartz-Clauss
Curatorial Assistant: Serge Mauduit

Organised by