Laffanour / Galerie Downtown Paris, in collaboration with the Charles Riva Collection, presents the LEVEL exhibition, an encounter between modern and contemporary design and works by leading figures in contemporary art. This collaboration is taking place in two phases: the first exhibition in Paris at Galerie Downtown from March 24 to April 29, 2023, and the second at the Charles Riva Collection in Brussels, from April 19 to July 1, 2023.
Following the success of his collaboration with Galerie Perrotin (exhibition La Cité Universitaire de Jean Prouvé, from January 19 to February 25, 2023), François Laffanour once again brings designer furniture into dialogue with contemporary art, in partnership with collector Charles Riva, highlighting the work of great creators of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Charles Riva is particularly fond of this idea of creating a dialogue between works from different sources, which stems from his desire to move away from the white cube concept characteristic of contemporary art galleries. The collaboration with François Laffanour, whom he has known for a long time, was therefore a natural fit: a crossover between furniture and graphic arts, mutually enriching each other, with pieces of exceptional quality, hence the ambitious title of the exhibition, LEVEL.
On one side, modern design, with major figures such as Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret, and Le Corbusier, enhanced by a few poetic pieces by contemporary Korean designer Choï Byung Hoon. On the other, a selection of works by contemporary American artists such as Paul McCarthy, Richard Prince, and conceptual artist Christopher Wool. The exhibition thus seeks to create an aesthetic complementarity between these two worlds, under the watchful eye of François Laffanour and Charles Riva. Through this collaboration, the latter two implement the vision of art they share: highlighting works by contextualizing them, creating true living spaces, at the crossroads with interior design.
