Art de Vivre à la Française exhibition 2024

As the Art de Vivre à la Française exhibition gears up to open its doors at Bikaner House from March 21 to 22, anticipation mounts for an exquisite display of French craftsmanship and design.

This exhibition is crafted to highlight France’s extensive expertise in home decor and furnishing, and concrete collaborations between France and India in design and craftsmanship.

The exhibition is meticulously curated by an Indo-French team from Business France and GCG Architects to showcase France’s profound prowess in the interior design industry, seamlessly fusing timeless traditions with state-of-the-art technology.

Among the +30 exhibitors, Mobilier National, a public institution of France that has historically been instrumental in safeguarding, maintaining, and refurbishing state furniture, has expanded its focus to include the curation of a contemporary collection which will also be present at the event.

Among the esteemed participants are three prominent designer brands hailing from Paris, poised to captivate visitors with their unparalleled expertise in home decor and furnishing.

Mathieu Lustrerie: A luxury lighting specialist whose most notable works are seen in the Palace of Versailles, the Opera Garnier, and the Louvre Museum, to name a few.

Féau Boiseries: When it comes to decorative boiserie paneling, the name of Féau is a symbol of French excellence. They specialise in high-end deluxe wood paneling and

Lesage Interieurs: A true fruit of Indo-French savoir-faire, Lesage is known for their handmade embroidered creations made in India and used by museums, decorators, upholsters and collectors worldwide.

This exclusive event is tailored for all professionals of the sector such as Indian interior designers, importers, distributors, retailers, luxury hotel chains, architecture and design students, real estate developers, and journalists eager to collaborate with distinguished French brands.

India is undeniably an unmissable booming market in the furniture and interior design industry, being recognised for its rich history in art, and architecture as a melting pot of innumerable cultures and traditions.

On March 21, from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm, a series of talks entitled ‘Creative Dialogue’ will be organised by the French Institute in India, emphasising this history of design and know-how from a French and Indian point of view.

The conferences will bring together famous heritage companies such as Féau, Mathieu Lustrerie and Lesage, world-renowned French and Indian architect studios like Wilmotte & Associés, represented by its CEO Borina Andrieu, Morphogenesis and its founder Sonali Rastogi, Jean-Louis Deniot, Aparna Kaushik, but also promising French designers who are used to work with craftsmanship like RoWin Atelier (a duo composed of Hervé Winkler and Frédéric Rochette), Hugo Besnier, and other key opinion leaders of the industry and creative sector like designer Gaurav Gupta. Mobilier National and its representatives will be part of the debate as well and share examples on how they try to mix traditional ‘savoir-faire’ and contemporary creation.

By giving a platform to these key players, the French Embassy in India and its different entities wish to strengthen the people-to-people relationship between France and India in the fields of design and arts and crafts which have been pointed out as strategic priorities by President Emmanuel Macron, acknowledging the immense diversity of talents in both our countries and hoping that this dynamic can grow through trade exchanges and initiatives, creative collaborations like residencies (Villa swagatam), as well as professional training and students mobility.

When: March 21 –22

Where: Bikaner House, New Delhi