Atelier Jespers: Les Assises du Temps Perdu

Les Assises du Temps Perdu proves an original composition conceived by the designer Anthony Guerrée, presented by Atelier Jespers. The show holds a series of sculptural chairs highlight the protagonist of Marcel Proust’s famous novel À la recherche du temps perdu. Curated by Brussels gallery owner Jean-François Declercq with the partnership of Cornette de Saint-Cyr, the exhibition will be on view in the private mansion of the auction house until the 12th of February, 2021.

 “I’ve read Proust, and I wanted to keep a trace of it by giving the characters a real place in space, by giving them a seat.” Through a series of sculptural chairs, the French designer materializes the protagonists of Marcel Proust’s famous novel In Search of Lost Time. Proustian literature abounds of decorative arts references to embody the characters, so Anthony Guerrée wanted to “chair” the features and the attitudes of Vinteuil, Verdurin, Albertine, Elstir, Swann, Odette, Charlus and  Saint-Lou with a wide range of expressive materials, graphic forms and singular textures.

He designed an atypical scenography in the grand salon of the mansion, where the sculptural chairs seem to dialogue with each other from the top of their podiums. A setting that invites the visitor to meet these “chair-characters”, illustrated with a citation from the novel dedicated to them. This sumptuous display evokes Proust’s youth in the family home located nearby, also close to Parc Monceau, where one can easily imagine the protagonists wandering in the surroundings. A romanesque scenery that plunges us right away into the Proustian universe.

The publishing house, as well the French literary review, Bouclard has launched exclusively “Les Assises du Temps Perdu” by Anthony Guerrée in a limited edition in their collection “L’officine, cabinet de curiosités littéraires“. This special edition is based on the designer’s chair drawings, the quotes from Proust that inspired them, research notebooks, and texts expressing his vision of the characters. This unique project, at the crossroads of literature and design, will be on display during the exhibition.

Cover image: Les Assises du Temps Perdu par Anthony Guerrée.