“ I see design as a journey, not as a result. We really believe in the word expedition, which implies having an idea of the place where we are heading, but also being ready to cope with the unexpected – and the understanding that that is how the magic occurs.” Mathilde Bretillot, International Design Expeditions
The scenography is the work of IDE platform members and exhibition curators Mathilde Bretillot, Pierangelo Caramia and Miska Miller-Lovegrove. It is designed to operate as a journey in itself. The centre piece is a 25-metre “Grande Table” with the original pieces made during these expeditions. Five pavilions, one for each country, are moored to this monumental table. They act as a series of stops where the visitors are immersed in these different countries.
“ This exhibition takes us on an odyssey of design. It is perfectly in tune with the new ethos of the Cité du design’s programming, which aims to offer themed exhibitions anchored in very contemporary experiences.” Éric Jourdan, Executive Director, Cité du design-ESADSE
“ What we are seeking to do is share our experiences and discoveries by stimulating and involving all the senses as much as possible. Each of the five pavilions is tethered to the “Grande Table” to share selected pieces of lived experiences and key moments from the expeditions.” Mathilde Bretillot, Pierangelo Caramia and Miska Miller Lovegrove, curators and scenographers
The Ceramic & Food Route was launched in 2019 and was the first programme of expeditions organised by IDE. It fosters a unique form of collaboration between upcoming designers, craftspeople and chefs. A specific context is set for the project, in which there is no distance between design and production, and which takes drawings as a starting point for conversations, shared meals, visions and interpretations. By working with traditional know-how and local food culture, the designers come into contact with invaluable sources of knowledge gained from centuries of making. Each object created is the expression of a culture, the story of a place, a tradition, a specific set of gestures, a way of preparing dishes, but also a particular approach to form and material.
“ Designers would never have conceived or made these objects by themselves without taking part in the expedition. These are “third” objects, something quite distinct; they are testimonies to the places and conditions of the research done immersed in the reality of these countries. ” Mathilde Bretillot, Pierangelo Caramia and Miska Miller-Lovegrove, curators and scenographers
The exhibition will also be extended with a programme of events, with the collaboration of cook and designer Marc Bretillot, who was the Food expert on all the expeditions. One of the events will be an international meeting with all the partners and participants in the five expeditions. A number of educational projects will also be running at the same time, with ENSAD Limoges, Saint-Étienne Higher School of Art and Design (ESADSE) and catering school École Hôtelière Renouveau (Loire).
