[The Lines of the Hand] Episode 8 – Hervé Lemoine,
President of Manufactures nationales - Sèvres & Mobilier national

In this new episode, we follow the lines of the hand of Hervé Lemoine, President of Manufactures nationales – Sèvres & Mobilier national, a one-of-a-kind public institution dedicated to the Métiers d’art, from decorative arts to design.

A historian, archivist, and senior civil servant, Hervé Lemoine has been working for over thirty years to preserve and pass on France’s heritage and savoir-faire.

In this episode, he recounts his career, traces the history of Mobilier national and reveals how his hands, engaged in a different way, connect the craftsmanship of the manufactories, public buildings in France and abroad, and contemporary creation. He discusses the role of Manufactures nationales – Sèvres & Mobilier national as a living space fostering dialogue between heritage and innovation, with the nearly thirty Métiers d’art that are practised there.

Hervé Lemoine also looks back at two projects that symbolise this vision, carried out in partnership with le19M: the Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers, which brought together over 150 workshops, manufacturers, and Maisons d’art, including several of le19M’s resident Maisons d’art; and the exhibition Ce qui se trame…, dedicated to textile exchanges between France and India, in which Lesage Intérieurs participated with a participatory embroidery workshop centred on indigo.

Through his career and his commitments, Hervé Lemoine provides a different interpretation of the hand: one that transmits, connects, and allows the craftsmanship of yesteryear to feed into the creativity of today.

A podcast produced for le19M by Géraldine Sarratia, directed by Emmanuel Baux.

The exhibition Ce qui se trame… was on display at Mobilier national until 4 January 2026.