Being one of the most iconic department stores in Paris, Le Bon Marché welcomes now a sculpture that is beyond creative: an installation by Chiharu Shiota, which is composed of nearly 300,000 yards of white yarn, woven to encapsulate the center, ground floor, and ten windows of the building. The exhibition, titled Where are we going? will feature 150 boats within the French department store’s center, and the ground-floor exhibition will house a giant threaded wave that visitors are encouraged to walk through.
See also: WHERE TO EAT IN PARIS: MISS KŌ RESTAURANT DESIGNED BY PHILIPPE STARCK
Inside the historic department store in Paris, Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota has suspended 150 sculptural boats from the ceiling, figuratively ‘sailing’ across the space. Drawn from typologies found across a range of cultures and communities, the hollowed out metal hulls hang from the store’s central glass roof, surrounding visitors in an all-white abyss.
The exhibition invites visitors to ‘sail towards a fresh start’ as they ponder the origin and destination of the boats, taking them on a journey of uncertainty and wonder. As part of the exhibition ‘Where are we going?’, Shiota has sculpted a monumental mesh wave titled ‘memory of the ocean’ on the ground floor that visitors can experience by walking through as if they were under the sea.
About Chiharu Shiota
Chiharu Shiota is a Japanese installation artist born in Osaka. Shiota’s oeuvre links various aspects of art performances and installation practices. Mostly renown for her vast, room-spanning webs of threads or hoses, she links abstract networks with concrete everyday objects such as keys, windows, dresses, shoes, boats, and suitcases.
About Le Bon Marché
The oldest department store of the Rive Gauche sells a wide range of high-end goods and has an elegant, refined atmosphere. The building generates surprise and promotes a way of life that transforms shopping into «art de vivre». This sense of magic charm can be experienced mostly because of the furniture inside the shop. Visitors may experience the luxury feeling throughout the space, especially the armchairs and sofas upholstered in different opulent fabrics.
See also: TOP 5 FRENCH INTERIOR DESIGN MAGAZINES
