fondation d’entreprise martell reopens with ‘regenerative design’

Almanach, Designers’ Perspective on the Resources of the Charentes Region

Foundation d’entreprise Martell reopens in Poitou Charentes, South-West France with an exhibition led by – and showcasing – the research-based work of designers and artists. Titled ‘Almanach, Designers’ Perspective on the Resources of the Charentes Region, the display presents the material and immaterial outlook of the local, natural, and industrial resources of the French region. Visitors can attend from June 30 to December 31, 2023.

all images courtesy of de la fondation © aurélien mole

Focused on living things and regenerative research, the Fondation d’entreprise Martell is an experimentation platform and space for designers, artists, and researchers, sharing its works with the public. It is led by Anne-Claire Duprat, Director of Foundation d’entreprise Martell, who is an art historian with over 15 years of experience in the contemporary art world.

The team of designers and artists include such as Olivier Peyricot, independent curator and designer-researcher whose work can be found at MoMA in the USA and the National Foundation for Contemporary Art (FNAC), Lola Carrel, art and design historian, Valentin Patis, graduate in space and object design from Reims School of Art and Design and French designer Mathilde Pellé. Their 2023 exhibition highlights  the findings of a collaborative research project of no equal in the region.

three spaces with three different meanings

The exhibition examines the past and present of the resources, and their interrelation with the environment, to draw future conclusions for a more sustainable future. Visitors can discover a rich collection of samples from maps, objects, photos, videos, soundtracks, materials, substances, sketches, documents, installations, and works of art in three spaces.

Space 1 identifies what constitutes a resource by taking the example of the Charente river as a starting point. To accompany the idea of water as a pillar for research, films and documentaries will be shown such as La ligne de partage des eaux by Dominique Marchais or Leçon des Barrages by Suzanne Husky.

Space 2 showcases an assembly of materials collected over the last months, emerging from the deposits of the region, through  industrial and agricultural artefacts, and examines their evolution. Eight photographs by the duo Monnier-Tabuch are on view to support the space 2 research work. 

Space 3 acts as a permanent living archive, where a bookcase records the trace of all the work performed, summarizing the research and findings, and invites contributors to discover more about the initiative of the project. Four paintings by Bordeaux artist Simon Rayssac are on display to help redefine how we perceive what surrounds us.  

Furthermore, viewers can discover a rich program of residences, open calls, public workshops, conferences and debates, all aligned with the goal of the exhibition: to create new insights on new ways for building a resilient and sustainable future for upcoming generations.

The residences open in July, before the chosen designers, artists, and thinkers join the third part of the ‘Almanach, Designers’ Perspective on the Resources of the Charentes Region’. The Foundation launches an open call to pursue the project in the future, in January 2024.

project info:

name: Almanach, Designers’ Perspective on the Resources of the Charentes Region
venue: Fondation d’entreprise Martell | @fondationmartell

dates:  June 30 – December 31, 2023

director: Anne-Claire Duprat
designer and curator of the exhibition: Olivier Peyricot
researchers, artists, and curators: Lola Carrel, Valentin Patis, Mathilde Pellé

graphic studio: Kiösk | Elsa Aupetit and Martin Plagnol

partners/in collaboration with: Design des Mondes Ruraux, (Design of Rural Worlds), ENSAD