DUBAI: A new temporary exhibition is on show at France’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai until Dec. 6. An immersive experience, organized by the Chalhoub Group, invites visitors on a journey between tradition and modernity and highlights the three design houses, Christofle, Baccarat and Bernardaud, for a deep dive into the French art of living.
The opening day of the exhibition welcomed the brand’s CEO as well as France’s Minister Delegate in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises, Alain Griset.
La Maison Christofle
For its part, goldsmith and tableware company Christofle is showing off some of its oldest pieces, including a candelabra, created at the time of the French Expo in 1855, and a meter high tea fountain from the universal exhibition of 1873 in Vienna.
Christofle x Baccarat. Supplied
However, the highlight of the brand’s participation is “The Tree of Life,” which was handmade exclusively for the event. Standing at two-meters-high, the base is a hexagon that elevates into a globe reflecting Christofle’s connections to the Middle East and the GCC.
The output is the result of 750 hours of work and weighs 100 kg in total, including one kilo in sterling silver, and 142 butterflies that symbolize diversity.
The Tree of Life. (Supplied)
The French brand strengthens its presence in the region through the Chalhoub Group, developing lifestyle franchise and French brands in the Middle East. “The Saudi market is a growing market for us. We are in discussion with private owners, and royalties to equip palaces, something that we’ve been doing for many years,” added the managing director.
La Maison Baccarat
Baccarat – Medicis XXL. Supplied
Baccarat’s presence at Expo 2020 Dubai begins with a monumental piece, the “Medicis Vase XXL” by Hans van Bentem. The 2.5-meter-high artwork is made from 13,000 pieces of clear crystal, and a single red octagon, Baccarat’s signature. Showcasing for the first time in Dubai, the vase is a reinterpretation of the Medici vase which was created in 1909.
“It’s a lighting sculpture. Lighting is at the center of the brand’s mission: We bring light to your home, we bring light to people,” said Baccarat CEO Herve Martin.
The brand is witnessing strong growth globally. The Middle Eastern market has been established through the historical partnership with the Chalhoub Group, one of the first partners of Baccarat in the world. “We also have a strong presence in Japan, but we still have a lot to do in the rest of the Far East,” added the group’s CEO.
La Maison Bernardaud
Universal exhibitions shed light on modernity, which is in line with the brand’s various offerings. “We are constantly reinventing ourselves. We are reinventing our production process and introducing new technologies and innovation in the porcelain production,” Michel Bernardaud, CEO of Bernardaud Porcelain, Limoges, said.
There are cultural differences, but the common denominator linking the French art of living to the region is the sense of family and the sense of sharing.
There is a very long tradition in the region of objects being passed down from generation to generation. “This is something that is particularly important to me. I am the head of a family business that will soon be 160 years old and knowing our customers, knowing their children, their grandchildren who are themselves customers, is something very significant,” Bernardaud said.
He added, “our expansion is very strong in the region. COVID-19 has been an opportunity for many people in the Middle East and elsewhere to realize that it is important to live life to the fullest, to have a house that is well kept, to be able to receive and therefore to have beautiful porcelain.”