Curated by Mathias Courtet and designed by Paf atelier, the exhibition *À Nous Deux*, on view from April 10 to July 31, highlights a shared creative process in which design and production are not opposed but rather test, transform, and transmit one another.
Opened in conjunction with the European Artistic Crafts Days, the exhibition *À Nous Deux: Design and Artistic Crafts, The Factory of Possibilities* explores the beating heart of contemporary creation: the moment when thought meets matter. Through unprecedented collaborations between designers and artisans—JAD residents and guest creators—the exhibition showcases works born of the workshop, dialogue, experimentation, and shared craftsmanship.
Featuring:
Grégory Granados & Julia Debord-Dany
Barreau et Charbonnet & Jérémy Szafranize
Jean Gabriel Franchini & Mathieu Cubadda
Janique Bourget (JAD Resident) & Alice Lebourg
matali crasset & Céline Le Belz & Michaël Chéneau
Valentine Maurice & Cédric Breisacher (JAD Resident)
Baptiste Meyniel (JAD Resident) & Benoît Coulpier
Lyse Drouaine & Filature Terrade
Studio 5.5 (A. Lebossé & V. Baranger) & Tuilerie Terreal de Bavent – Poterie du Mesnil de Bavent
Lucas Lorigeon & CIAV Meisenthal
Studio MR & Coutellerie de Nontron
FAste (Étienne Fleury & Caroline Andrin) & Faïencerie d’Art de Malicorne
Marie-Aurore Stiker-Metral & Régis Anchuelo
About the exhibition
À Nous Deux is based on a firm belief: design only truly takes shape and meaning when it engages with the act of creation, the workshop, the materials, and the real-world constraints of craftsmanship.
In production spaces like this one at the JAD, design and technical mastery are inseparable. Yet this fundamental reality remains largely invisible. The proposed exhibition begins with this observation: to bring to light what usually takes place behind the scenes in the workshops.
The collaboration between designer and artisan is a natural fit. It shifts our perspective: we no longer view the object as an isolated creation, but as the result of a specific dialogue—a fluid and constant exchange between design and production. The exhibition design at Paf atelier allows us to see the adjustments, the trial and error, the negotiations, the experiments, and sometimes the mistakes.
À Nous Deux also maps out a geography of craftsmanship. From Normandy to the Moselle, from the Périgord to Corsica, from the Sarthe to Lyon, from Brittany via Aubusson, all the way to the Île-de-France region; each region reveals a specific material, technique, or craft. Glazed terracotta, blown glass, artistic embroidery, cutlery, earthenware, bent or engraved wood, carved stone, screen-printed silks, precision timepieces… These disciplines demonstrate a vitality and technical precision rarely visible outside the workshops; here, they come to life.
Thus, these collaborations are the result of complementary skills, but also of strong regional roots. Local resources, tools, traditional techniques, and the specific constraints of each craft directly influence the final form. The design evolves through interaction with the material. Technique is not merely a means of execution: it shapes thought, guides decisions, and opens up unexpected possibilities.
“À Nous Deux” showcases both the process and the result. It reveals the lengthy production process, the practical aspects of craftsmanship, and the demanding professional reality that underpins design and the arts and crafts. Models, tests, prototypes, films, and finished pieces bring this journey to life.
“À Nous Deux” thus takes a clear stance: design does not overshadow the craft. It does not exploit it. Rather, it extends it, challenges it, and energizes it. Together, they produce tangible forms rooted in specific regions, productive cultures, and living histories.
Through this geography of gestures, the exhibition reminds us of something essential: form is always the result of a dialogue—between skills, between hands, between forms of knowledge.
Practical Information
Open Wednesday through Sunday from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM (closed on May 1) – Free admission
Guided tours
The Jardin des métiers d’Art et du Design (JAD) is pleased to offer guided tours of its exhibition titled “À Nous Deux: Design and Crafts, The Making of Possibilities” every Saturday and Sunday through July 31.
Book your tickets below: