Date of Award

2025

Document Type

MA Project - Open Access

Project Type

MA Project - Curatorial Proposal

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Fine and Decorative Art and Design

First Advisor

Matthew Nichols

Second Advisor

Agnes Berecz

Abstract

From April through October of 1925, the heart of Paris hosted the (the 1925 Paris Exposition), a monumental event that transformed the city into a showcase of artistic and industrial innovation.1 The year 2025 marks the one hundredth anniversary of this historic exposition. The French government initiated and funded the project during the interwar period, a time characterized by dynamic cultural shifts, a spirit of liberation, and a widespread embrace of modernity. Commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties, this era was defined by a blend of hedonism, artistic innovation, and social upheaval, deeply shaped by the aftermath of World War I. Paris became the global epicenter for these transformations, attracting artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals alike. The exposition is often described as a burgeoning moment for Modernism and a pinnacle moment for the French Art Deco design style. Although the artistic movements of the time have been extensively covered in both scholarship and museum exhibitions worldwide, there hasn’t been a focused American museum retrospective exploration dedicated to the exposition pavilions themselves. The potential exception being, in 1926, The American Association of Museums organized and exhibited the traveling show titled, A selected collection of objects from the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Art at Paris 1925. Arguably, this show was not organized by respective pavilions, and it was shown both in museum and commercial venues alike, in the interest of introducing the American public to new, modern 1 Jared Goss, French Art Deco (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014), 10. The end date of the Exposition is sometimes also referenced as being November 1925. 2 styles. Though the expression of the Art Deco style was short-lived due to the outbreak of the second World War and the Great Depression, it went on to resonate globally. For this major historical exhibition, I propose a centennial retrospective of the decorative arts presented at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, organized by pavilion and brought to life through faithfully reconstructed domestic interior vignettes. The pavilions at the Exposition were extraordinary showcases of collaborative creativity, where fine and applied arts would join forces to create immersive environments. Each pavilion was a unique artistic and architectural achievement, designed to reflect the cultural identity, artistic innovation, and aspirations of the nation or organization it represented. Architects worked closely with decorative artists, craftsmen, and designers to create cohesive pavilions that unified all aspects of design, from the building's external structure and ornamentation to its interior furnishings, layout and materials. This exhibition seeks to honor the vision and artistry of each featured ensemblier—as they came to be known—while examining how the Exposition’s richly staged interiors captivated spectators and shaped evolving ideas of modern living. What set the 1925 events apart was not merely France’s emphasis on national advancement, but its innovative focus on presenting finished objects within a unified setting. Unlike previous World’s Fairs that celebrated industrial development and the technologies behind production, the 1925 Exposition marked a clear shift in emphasis. It was a celebration of the finished product—the consumer good—rather than the processes, machinery, or raw materials that created it. In fact, the display of raw materials was explicitly prohibited, signaling a deliberate focus on aesthetic appeal. The Exposition promoted decorative arts not only as high art, but as a desirable and accessible commodity, blurring the boundaries between luxury, 3 lifestyle, and consumption. Visitors of the 1925 Exposition were invited to experience these products within visually cohesive atmospheres that evoked a parallel between one's modern ambitions and the domestic products that could align them with such a lifestyle. The exhibition and ensuing research will argue that the role of the ensemblier—the individuals who curated harmonious collections of furnishings and objects—was pivotal in reshaping how visitors engaged with the Exposition. Through thoughtfully staged interior ensembles, the Exposition evoked a powerful sense of desire in its audience, marking the shift in emphasis from production to consumption. This shift was further amplified by the presence of France’s leading department stores—Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Le Bon Marché, and the Grands Magasins du Louvre—which reinforced aspirational ideals across the exhibition grounds, strengthening an association between the French Art Deco style and being modern and sophisticated. In summary, the key ideas this proposal aims to illustrate begin with defining a distinctly French expression of Modern design—Art Deco—unique to the region and separate from simultaneous movements of the period. I will demonstrate this by highlighting the work of Louis Süe and André Mare for Mr. and Mrs. Pierre Girod and Armand-Albert Rateau for Jeanne Lanvin, showing how these projects laid the groundwork for the style’s evolution, culminating at the 1925 Exposition. This approach will position Paris as the epicenter of French Art Deco. The exhibition will then focus on possibly the most influential contribution to the Exposition, ÉmileJacques Ruhlmann’s Hôtel du Collectionneur pavilion, whose impact as an ensemblier cannot be overlooked. Ruhlmann remains a central figure to the Art Deco style, remembered as one of the most successful ensembliers of his time. Finally, the exhibition will explore France's strategic use of this modern design language to drive economic growth. I will emphasize this through the 4 rise of decorative arts workshops within department stores, which fostered a consumer culture crucial to the Exposition's success and to the global spread of Art Deco. In turn, these curated spaces will embody a specific vision of modernity, luxury, and national identity that was present at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes.

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