Klein, maar fijn: Gallerie Anno shows Pierre Paulin

Photo of the designer seated in

one of his own creations.

Where: Gallerie Anno, Westerstraat 49, 1015 LT, Amsterdam.

When: sept. 11 - nov.16

Gallery Anno (an offspring from the furniture store with the same name also in Westerstraat) have opened their own exhibition space and decided to kick off by showing furniture, mostly chairs, by French designer Pierre Paulin.

Pierre Paulin (1927),who had aspired to become a Sculptor, switched to design after sustainining permanent injury to one of his arms.

Paulin designed furniture for the Dutch manufacturer Artifort the names of which, such as Mushroom, Orange Slice and Butterfly, reflect the sculpural qualities of his work. Besides furniture, he also applied himself to industrial design. He furnished hotel lobbies and the apartments of French presidents Pompidou and Mitterrand.

Although clearly rooted in the 1960's and 1970's, his designs appear timeless, due to having been conceived first and foremost as functional objects (you can remain seated forever in a Paulin chair), and only then, but not least, aesthetically.

The exhibition at Anno does great justice to Paulin's shapely but functional designs, which are best appreciated when seen in the real, and, given the limited floorspace of the gallery, does an excellent job of telling the visitor about paulin's furniture and the significance of it.

Highly recommended and I am looking forward to their next offering.