In the heart of Paris, a new exhibition combines ebullient artworks, design, and installations to propose a new kind of domesticity. “We wish to normalize a more conscious relationship with our living spaces,” explains Marie-Cassandre Bultheel who, along with Hélène Aguilar, curated the exhibition, titled Cosmos and Matter.

Organized on behalf of the Sustainable Design Association, which was founded in 2021 by Aguilar, the exhibition contains work by makers who incorporate eco-friendly practices. “By directing the curation towards designers, artisans, and artists who honour natural cycles and universal laws, I wanted to celebrate a luxury that respects the Earth as much as the human soul,” Bultheel says.

Hélène Aguilar and Marie-Cassandre Bultheel, co-founders of Cosmos and Matter. Photo by Mathilde Hiley.

Muskhane, Balls and carpets, felt. Tij, Floral sculpture from recycled paper. Marcela Paz Undurraga, Solar bowl, unglazed ceramic. Paysan Parfumeur, natural home fragrance. Little Anana, Water lily stools, tray of Pinhadar, panel and 100 per cent natural finishes. Photo by Jérôme Galland

Jörg Koziol, Facteur commun, wood sculpture.

Salon de la Lune, exposition Cosmos and Matter. Muskhane, Balls and carpets, felt. Elisa Uberti, Fountain of youth, lamp, modeling by coils, white stoneware and merino wool. Elisa Uberti, Eclipse 1, Chair in oak and solid walnut. Photo by Jérôme Galland.

The apartment is organized around 10 “scenes,” each of which highlights a different aspect of the art of sustainable living. A Botanic Bar, Moon Lounge, and Sun Lounge, and other spaces contain work by artists such as Elisa Uberti, Joanna Prunes, and Sacha Parent. Throughout, the works nod to cosmic motifs such as the sun and the moon to remind visitors of our intimate connection to the universe.

“We forget that we are connected to a larger planet, to the moon and the sun,” Aguilar says. “Within our exhibition, we wanted to transcend matter in order to reach a deeper understanding of interconnection.”

Located in a Haussmann apartment with original mouldings, columns, and wood parquet floors, the exhibition is meant to be experienced barefoot. In this way, Cosmos and Matter engages the senses and inspires visitors to consider their daily surroundings.

La Table des Vivants, exposition Cosmos and Matter. ShiraBio, edible leathers of dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Little Anana, Bean Table and Baobab Stools. Photo by Jérôme Galland

“We activate spaces that normally do not host exhibitions to the public,” Bultheel explains of the decision to mount the exhibit in an apartment. “My intention was to promote a conscious and sustainable lifestyle within the urban and modern jungle of the city.”

A notable room is the Moon Lounge (Salon de la Lune), where circular rugs and spherical upholstered balls by Muskhane evoke the shapes and colours of the solar system. “With this room, I wanted to revisit the idea of the literary salon dating from the Enlightenment in Paris,” Bultheel says. Over the course of the exhibition, various thinkers and artists have been invited to speak in the room. “Here, authentic and sensitive expression is welcomed, and new ideas are shared.”

Arnold of Algiers, Galaxy Fresco, gilded copper leaf and gum arabic. Muskhane, balls and carpets, felt, Photo by Jérôme Galland.

Ultimately, the exhibit is meant to do more than showcase works of individual artists and designers. “Design has this unique power to make visible, tangible, and desirable what might otherwise seem abstract,” Aguilar says. “It acts as a powerful tool that transforms gestures into habits and choices into commitments. We hope that our visitors will perceive their living space differently and be more interested in making good choices for themselves and the planet.”

Cosmos and Matter is open through February 16, at 29 boulevard Raspail, Paris, France.

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