Jean Prouvé 1901-1984. Industrial Beauty

On 1 September 2011, Ivorypress Space presented the show Jean Prouvé 1901-1984: Industrial Beauty, dedicated to the outstanding French engineer, artisan and designer Jean Prouvé (Paris, 1901–Nancy, 1984). Curated by British architect Norman Foster and by ETSAM Professor of Architectural Projects Luis Fernández-Galiano, the exhibition revisits the whole of Prouvé’s career.

From the originality of his earlier furniture to the sophistication of his later constructive systems, the oeuvre of the French genius is an example of committed engagement with prefabrication and industrialisation, and also serves as a bottomless source of inspiration.

The exhibition followed a chronological layout in 10 sections, each one featuring original drawings and photographs accompanied by critical texts. The selection included a wide range of furniture, architecture models and fragments of buildings, like his celebrated 6 x 6 House: a spectacular 1:1 scale prototype that is in turn a manifesto of Prouvé’s interest in lightness and prefabrication in architecture.