Next week, Whitewall Projects will present its first-ever exhibition “From Nature” during the week of Art Basel Paris. The group show (open October 14—19, 2024), curated by Emma Donnersberg, Marion Guggenheim, and Nicolas Dewavrin, brings together a range of artworks and design objects from an international group of emerging and established artists. “From Nature” features lighting design in partnership with FLOS and fragrance in partnership with Diptyque.
Whitewall Projects Presents “From Nature”
Just minutes from the Grand Palais in Paris, where Art Basel Paris takes place this October, Whitewall Projects fills the unique location of 37 Roosevelt 75008 Paris with a selection of works by artists Fabien Adèle, Louis Alcaraz, Apollinaria Broche, Mia Chaplin, Eugénie Didier, Daria Dmytrenko, DRIFT, Sasha Ferré, Pandora Graessl, Rafael Y. Herman, Alexandre Lenoir, William Macnad, Ileana García Magoda, Kami Mierzvvinsk, Roman Moriceau, Maho Nakamura, alongside design by Emma Donnersberg. The rooms of the classic Parisian apartment have not been updated since the 1970s, its weathered and imperfect wallpaper, finishings, tilework, ceilings, and flooring in conversation with paintings, mixed media pieces, sculpture, ceramics, and installations in conversation with the elements of nature and time.
Pandora Graessl, A Place Called Earth, Uri, Swiss Alps (detail), 2019, Inkjet print on Baryta, 80 x 120 cm, edition of 5 + 2 AP, courtesy of the artist.
Rafael Y. Herman, Molaris Alius, 2022, 270 x 180cm, courtesy Herman studio.
Each artist has developed their own relationship with nature, deeply influenced by its environment, resources, fragility, and spirit. Artists like Ileana García Magoda, Eugénie Didier, and Roman Moriceau offer a new take on the traditional floral still life. Mia Chaplin, William Macnad, Kami Mierzvvinsk, and Sasha Ferré capture the color and movement of the elements in dizzying abstract pieces. Rafael Y. Herman, Pandora Graessl, and Fabien Adèle reimagine a landscape through photographic methods or fantastic paintings. Louis Alcaraz and Maho Nakamura use materials like leather and ceramic to bring to life fanciful flowers and scenes that showcase a sense of tactility, magic, and mystery.
“From Nature” is a Group Exhibition, Curated by Marion Guggenheim, Nicolas Dwavrin, and Emma Donnersberg
Sasha Ferré, Is that an attitude for a flower, 2024, oil stick and tempera on wood panel, 160 x 130 cm, photo by Nicolas Brasseur, courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech.
William Macnad, Boreal Chill, 2020, acrylic on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm, courtesy of the artist.
“Like my approach to design, the work of the artists I’ve chosen is deeply rooted in nature and has an organic quality that really speaks to me,” said curator Emma Donnersberg. “Nature is the cornerstone of my work, influencing everything from my creative process to my interior design and curatorial approach. I’m deeply inspired by its forms and patterns. I hope that when visitors engage these pieces, they’ll feel like they’re journeying through another world, completely immersed in the environment we’ve created.” Donnersberg’s own collectible design objects will be in conversation with the artists’s work on view in “From Nature.”
“We’ve chosen artists who explore topics like sustainability and climate change, either through the materials they use or their conceptual approach,” said curators Marion Guggenheim and Nicolas Dewavrin. “By presenting a variety of perspectives, the exhibition offers a thoughtful dialogue about how art reflects and responds to environmental concerns, encouraging visitors to consider their own connection to nature.”
Maho Nakamura, Ecouter Ensemble, 2023, enameled ceramic, fimo clay, and paint, 20 x 20 x 25 cm, courtesy of the artist and La Galerie à venir / Laura Tendil, Paris.
“Whitewall Projects is thrilled to present its first-ever exhibition, ‘From Nature.’ The location and timing during Art Basel Paris allows us to further support emerging artists, going beyond content creation to showcasing their work to the world,” said Michael Klug and Laurent Moïsi of Whitewall Projects.
Whitewall Projects’ “From Nature” Features Lighting Design by FLOS
The exhibition features decorative, architectural, and bespoke lighting design from FLOS. Special attention is paid to the location, artwork, theme, and curatorial and artistic vision to create a unique lighting environment that enhances the visitor experience. “Art galleries, with their focus on the interaction between space, art, vision, and staging, represent a unique platform for communicating the crucial role light plays in the representation of reality. Good lighting design can make all the difference, contributing decisively to the success of a curatorship,” said Barbara Corti, Chief Creative Officer at Flos.
Fabien Adèle, Blush III, 2024, oil on linen, 33 x 22 cm, photo by Nicolas Brasseur, courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech.
Daria Dmytrenko, Vodyanoi, 2024, 150x80cm, oil on linen, courtesy of the artist.
“From Nature” is open Monday, October 14 through Friday, October 25, 2024, at 37 Roosevelt 75008 Paris daily from 11am—7pm. The exhibition by Whitewall Projects is part of the Association Matignon Saint-Honoré opening night on October 14, holding a vernissage from 6—9pm. A catalog will accompany the show, published by Whitewall, edited by Editor-in-Chief Katy Donoghue, with a special essay from Laurel V. McLaughlin, PhD, Curator and Director of the Collective Futures Fund at Tufts University Art Galleries.
Kami Mierzvvinsk, RHEII-S::s, 2023, mixed technique, 140 x 140 cm, courtesy of the artist.
Mia Chaplin, It Curdles, 2024, oil on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, photo by Matt Slater, courtesy of the artist and What if the World.
Courtesy of Louis Alcaraz.
