Ahead of its first permanent home, Lafayette Anticipation presents a taster of things to come

‘Can we join forces with the unknown?’ This conceptual question was at the heart of a limited-run show of 14 artists selected by the curatorial team of the Galeries Lafayette’s progressive new cultural institution, Lafayette Anticipation.
For Lafayette Anticipation, the answer is as much an ongoing mandate as an interpretative theme. Around this time next year, the new offshoot will unveil its first physical space: a production, innovation and exhibition hub occupying a late 19th century warehouse at 9 rue de Plâtre in the Marais. The ambitious architectural project is being developed by Rem Koolhaas’ OMA, with the agency’s AMO multidisciplinary arm contributing additional research and design.
The momentum-building exhibition 'Faisons de l'inconnu un allié' meanwhile, was on view a short distance away in the former Weber Métaux, a three-floor hardware store widely patronised by artists; its raw, open space (slightly modified to meet safety regulations) offering the ideal backdrop for the installations that, more often than not, convey a certain state of incompletion. While Lafayette Anticipation’s managing director and exhibition curator François Quintin says the works do not directly relate to one another, several existed as work-in-progress performances.
Installation view at 'Faisons de l'inconnu un allié'.
There was Cally Spooner’s music composition recorded in an on-site studio; a 2.5m circular flute constructed by Studio Brynjar and Veronika that benefited from a live recital; abstract leather handbags made daily by artisans supervised by Mary Ping of Slow and Steady Wins the Race; and a Genealogy structure housing a fragmented rug passed down from Rayyane Tabet’s Bedouin great-grandfather, which came to life when recounted by the artist as an oral history.
‘It’s not only objects; it’s the whole story of how we have developed the projects – and how it’s linked to personal history,’ Quintin tells Wallpaper*. ‘When you produce an artwork, there is something that goes way beyond the contemplation of an object.’
Which is to say, Lafayette Anticipation is differentiating itself from other patronage foundations by emphasising the production process as much as the final product. Sure, it provided the financial support for Yngve Holen to purchase a Porsche Panamera, but then it also helped source the diamond cutter that could slice the car into four price parts, titled Cake. In this way, the notion of ‘anticipation’ applies universally to institution, artist and visitor. ‘Anticipation is one of the most democratic words; anybody can anticipate – to think in advance and consider what the near future will be,’ Quintin notes. ‘Our role is also to anticipate the needs of the artists. And this offers a way to position them and explore this.’
While this may not be immediately discernible to the people who drifted from one work to the next – Simon Fujiwara’s New Pompidou corner with its ceiling grid of upside roses, or the unnatural curves of Tyler Coburn’s Ergonomic Futures bench – it made for an intriguing visit as uncertain as it was inspiring. And so as the official opening gets closer and closer, the anticipation builds.
Cake, by Ygnve Holen, 2016.
Ergonomic Futures, by Tyler Coburn, 2016.
Installation view of Rayyane Tabet's Genealogy, 2016.
Faisons de l'inconnu un allié, by Camille Blatrix, 2016. Courtesy of the artist
The Circle Flute, by Studio Brynjar & Veronika, 2016.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Lafayette Anticipation website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Sex, scent and celebrity: what perfume ads of the 2000s reveal about consumer culture today
In All-American Ads of the 2000s, the latest instalment of Taschen’s book series chronicling print advertising across ten decades, a section on perfume is a striking precursor for consumerism in the age of social media
-
Shola Branson draws from the antique and modern for his must-have jewellery pieces
Shola Branson's jewellery in SMO gold combines a range of eclectic influences
-
The exquisite landscape architecture of Jung Youngsun is celebrated at SMAC in Venice
Timed to coincide with the Venice Biennale, the new San Marco Art Centre opened with a show on the work of South Korean landscape architect Jung Youngsun
-
Technology, art and sculptures of fog: LUMA Arles kicks off the 2025/26 season
Three different exhibitions at LUMA Arles, in France, delve into history in a celebration of all mediums; Amy Serafin went to explore
-
Contemporary artist collective Poush takes over Château La Coste
Members of Poush have created 160 works, set in and around the grounds of Château La Coste – the art, architecture and wine estate in Provence
-
‘David Hockney 25’: inside the artist’s blockbuster Paris show
‘David Hockney 25’ has opened at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Wallpaper’s Hannah Silver took a tour of the colossal, colourful show
-
Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-up
Jack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
-
‘The Black woman endures a gravity unlike any other’: Pharrell Williams explores diverse interpretations of femininity in Paris
Pharrell Williams returns to Perrotin gallery in Paris with a new group show which serves as an homage to Black women
-
What makes fashion and art such good bedfellows?
There has always been a symbiosis between fashion and the art world. Here, we look at what makes the relationship such a successful one
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in Nîmes
The Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this week
Investing in quality knitwear, scouting a very special pair of earrings and dining with strangers are just some of the things keeping the Wallpaper* team occupied this week