From a 19th-Century French Metalworking Atelier, New Work by Four Exciting Designers

As curators ourselves, we know that some of the most exciting exhibitions to put together are the ones that pair young, experimental designers with ateliers or manufacturing workshops that have been honing a particular craft for years, or even centuries. That’s exactly the concept behind Série 1, which is being presented at Paris’s Joyce Gallery through January 30 to coincide with Maison & Object. Curated by Léa Padovani and Sébastien Kieffer of POOL, the exhibition includes a collection of eight pieces created by POOL, Fabien Cappello, Paul Loebach, and Fredrik Paulsen in collaboration with Atelier François Pouenat, a 130-year-old metalworking atelier in the north of France. POOL began working with Pouenat as a manufacturing partner almost a decade ago — in addition to recently overhauling the atelier’s graphic identity — and their dream was to bring in a group of designers whose work might illustrate the full range of the atelier’s expertise. The result is a collection full of beautiful texture — metal that’s been hammered, brushed, sandblasted, and more — and color, from Fredrik Paulsen’s gumball-pink tubular table base to POOL’s tinted metal geometric bookshelf. Take a peek at some of our favorites, below.