© Simon Kentish
The beginnings
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti began their collaboration in the early 80’s. They signed the decoration of the Privilège, the restaurant of the famous Parisian nightclub, Le Palace.
Then the gallery En Attendant les Barbares produced their first creations.
The Garouste Bonetti’s inspiration was surprising and iconoclastic, in turn primitive, poetic, baroque, or ultra sophisticated.
Also, leading a movement followed by other designers, they reintroduced the use of fine craftsmanship and materials in the design world.
This “tailor-made” method of production by the finest craftsmen made it possible to decline the dimensions and finishes of their creations.
Their wrought iron pieces, produced exclusively by En Attendant les Barbares, are made by Pierre Basse, ex-ironsmith of Diego Giacometti. This exceptional craftsman works exclusively for the gallery.
The consecration
In 1987, their decoration of the Haute Couture house Christian Lacroix gave them international notoriety.
They carried out a series of projects in a wide variety of fields: For example, Bernard Picasso’s castle, the Montpellier tramway, or the Ricard decanter.
The Creator of the Year Award at the Salon du Meuble was awarded to them in 1991.
The separation
In 2001, just after a retrospective exhibition at the Grand Hornu Museum, Brussels, they split up.Their final joint creation was for En Attendant les Barbares. It was he Hi-Ti lamp, an abyss of the Lampe Masque from their beginnings, edited by this same gallery.
Over time, their signature has become a classic sought after by collectors and reached heights in the auction room. Today, the gallery continues to produce creations of this iconic duo of the 20th century.
Exhibitions
1981 : Galerie Jansen Paris
1982 : Galerie Furniture of the XX° century, New York
1984 : Galerie Via, Paris
1985 : Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Bordeaux
1985 : Fondation Cartier, Jouy en Josas
1985 : Musée des Beaux Arts de Dunkerque
1986 : Kunstmuseum, Dusseldorf
1986 : Galerie Shiseido, Tokyo
1986 : Biennale de Venise
1987 : Hotel de Ville de Villeurbanne
1988 : Victoria and Albert Museum, Londres
1988 : Centre Pompidou, Paris
1989 : Musée de Tel Aviv
1989 : Galrie Seibu, Tokyo
1990 : Musée des Arts Décoratifs
1991 : Galerie Colonna, Hanovre
1991 : Galerie En Attendant les Barbares, Paris
1991 : Galerie Alcazar, Milan
1993 : Galerie Show House, New York
1993 : Galerie Wohngalerie Tendenz, Innsbruck
1994 : Centre d’Art de Sundern, Allemagne
1994 : Galerie David Gill, Londres
1996 : Centre d’Art Contemporain, Meymac
1996 : Fondation Paullne Karpidas, Hydra
1996 : Galerie Néotu, Paris
1997 : Centre Pompidou, Paris
2001 : Le Grand Hornu, Bruxelles,
1991 : Galerie En Attendant les Barbares, Paris
1998 : Musée Guggenheim, New York
1999 : Galerie En Attendant les Barbares, Paris
2001 : Musée Le Grand Hornu, Bruxelles
Links :
David Gill Gallery
Christies
Sothebys
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