Behind the scenes at
Beyond our Horizons: from Tokyo to Paris
with Maison Michel and Massaro 

Following its success in Tokyo, the exhibition Beyond our Horizons: from Tokyo to Paris returned to la Galerie du 19M. 

Take a look behind the scenes at the creation of the works in the exhibition, in the heart of the 19M Maison d’art workshops, with the hatmaker Maison Michel and the bootmaker Massaro. 

For la Galerie du 19M, the artist duo konomad created five original hairpieces, associating the art of wig-making with that of four Maisons d’art: hatmaking by Maison Michel, embroidery by Atelier Montex, featherwork by Lemarié, and fashion jewellery by Goossens. Based on concepts sent to these houses, the artisans at le19M brought various elements to life (embroidered cones on fruit for Atelier Montex, gold-plated brass pins adorned with shells and coral for Goossens, feather weaving and marquetry for Lemarié, etc.), which were then assembled onto the various wigs by konomad using a crochet technique that allows the strands to be knotted one by one into the mesh of a lace cap.

As an introduction to the exhibition and its collaborations, a series of eleven painted and calligraphed lanterns welcomed the visitors. 

These lanterns showcase the work of the artisans at Kojima Shoten, a workshop specialising in the manufacture of lanterns using the jibari-shiki method, which combines a bamboo rib frame with a washi paper covering. Kojima Shoten is notably responsible for the red lanterns suspended in front of the Minamiza kabuki theatre in Kyoto. 

 For Beyond our Horizons: from Tokyo to Paris, Kojima Shoten collaborated with Maison Michel on the unique design of these lanterns, inspired by a hat design from this Maison d’art. Each of the eleven lanterns bears the name of a 19M Maison d’art written in katakana characters. 

Noritaka Tatehana strives to blend traditional Japanese culture with contemporary elements, as exemplified by his “heel-less shoes”, inspired by taka-geta (the high wooden sandals worn by oiran courtesans). 

Early in his career, the artist Daphne Guinness presented this designer with a pair of heel-less shoes, which she had designed in collaboration with Massaro. This sculptural pair, on display at la Galerie du 19M, would become one of Tatehana’s major sources of inspiration, leading him to create various reinterpretations, some of which were also displayed in Beyond our Horizons: from Tokyo to Paris.