A Spirited Approach

The Bauhaus style has had a considerable impact on art. The museum of decorative arts in Paris pays tribute to this style, which is visible even today, in all creative fields.

The Bauhaus Movement influenced minds not only by its unique approach to design but also by its other important elements—creativity, free spiritedness and friendship. This movement was like a lifestyle, where conversations moved from architecture to philosophy, and from physics to the construction of cathedrals. Founded in Weimar in 1919, by the architect Walter Gropius—he carried on the ambitions of his Belgian contemporary Henry Van de Velde and the theories of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Born in England a few decades earlier, Bauhaus was an artistic school of thought. It was all about bringing to life manual work. The motto was very clear: “Architects, sculptors, painters must boil down to craftsmanship.” This movement took place in different fields: furniture, costume design, painting, dance and even photography. If you look through the L’Officiel archives between the two World Wars, you will see just how much our magazine was influenced by the Bauhaus Movement in Paris.

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Starting 19th October, the museum of decorative arts in Paris will pay tribute to this movement through an exhibition sponsored by the Fondation Hermès. Nine hundred works will be showcased. Through the eyes of a student, the visitor will get an initiation of all the aspects of Bauhaus. Another interesting fact about this exhibition is that it showcases the contemporary references of this movement too. Artist Mathieu Mercier looks at works of 49 artists (all born after the ‘60s), to better understand the movement. At a time when some of fashion’s detractors are ringing the alarm bells, saying that fashion has become excessively industrialised, the Bauhaus philosophy is now more relevant than ever.

“L’Esprit du Bauhaus”, from 19th October to 26th February 2017, at the museum of decorative arts, Paris. www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

From the October 2016 issue of L’Officiel India.