Matthieu Lehanneur

Loïc Le Gaillard and Julien Lombrail, the partners of Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London, will inaugurate a new gallery in Paris. Carpenters Workshop Gallery Paris is located in the prominent neighborhood of the 4th arrondissement, on the border between the Marais and the Beaubourg plateau. The gallery is in a historically stimulating location for the art world as it formerly housed the Galerie de France for many decades. The monumental space covers 600 m² on three floors, with over 350 m² of exhibition space operating on two floors. The renovation of the gallery was carried out by the decorator Jean de Piepape. The Gallery founders were both born into the core of the Parisian art-world, Le Gaillard the son of an eminent gallerist; Lombrail the son of the renowned auctioneer. Prior to meeting, each was already independently intending to open a gallery promoting contemporary art, design and the place where the two overlap. They quickly progressed setting up the Carpenters Workshop Gallery together, on the premise that sculpture can bring depth, narrative and emotion to contemporary design. The Gallery began life in a former carpenter’s workshop in 2004, an old industrial space amid Chelsea Gas Works. In 2008 the Carpenters Workshop opened a second gallery in Albemarle Street, Mayfair. Always following the instinct of its founders without compromise, the Gallery’s exhibitions attracted much acclaim and quickly amassed a reputation for presenting works of deep contemporary significance. As the number of artists grew, so did the diversity of their backgrounds and practices. With a light touch, the Gallery brought a refreshing playfulness to the debate between art and design. The works exhibited often reflect a sense of humor crucial to the Gallery’s identity. This unconventional approach to hybrid practice was then contextualized within the traditional home of fine art in London. The field of Design Art is at the dawn of its potential, it proposes a sensitive, intellectual and innovative approach to the object. The pieces are true, functional sculptures, incorporating the paradox of the unique and the mass produced, of art and function. The Carpenters Workshop Gallery collection introduces the public to the latest design aesthetics, enriching and enlightening the contemporary design landscape and discourse. This Parisian location confirms Julien Lombrail’s and Loïc Le Gaillard’s commitment to the international promotion of their artists and designers, as well as their international spectrum of esteemed collectors. Together, Julien Lombrail and Loïc Le Gaillard guide the designers toward art and the artist toward design. Carpenters Workshop Gallery represents: Atelier Van Lieshout . Sebastian Brajkovic . Wendell Castle . Ingrid Donat . Vincent Dubourg . Lonneke Gordijn & Ralph Nauta . Johanna Grawunder . Matthieu Lehanneur . Nendo . Marc Quinn . Xavier Lust . Random International . Pablo Reinoso . Robert Stadler . Studio Job . Charles Trevelyan [cwg official release]

private opening date: 22 september 2011
public opening date: 24 september 2011
address: marais 54 rue de la verrerie 75003
phone: +33 (0)1 7712 0612
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