Carpenters Chalet

Vincenzo De Cotiis, Wendell Castle, Maarten Baas, Ingrid Donat, Nacho Carbonell, Zanine Caldas

Carpenters Workshop Gallery is welcoming in the colder months with a group winter exhibition in Paris. Merging traditional and contemporary aesthetics, the show is themed around the notion of seeking comfort in winter through our surroundings with a particular focus on the mountain chalet as a unique environment.

Historically, mountain chalets have been linked to the long-established archetype of minimalist interiors, steep pitches, stone walls, wooden cladding, warm lighting and rich tonality. Today, the modern chalet takes on a more inclusive aesthetic approach as it combines traditional with contemporary. This includes a melting pot of materials like glass, steel, concrete and wood, as well as a pairing of open-plan interiors, spa facilities and floor-to-ceiling windows providing a portal to the breathtaking mountainous environment.

Throughout the exhibition, a pastiche of the past and the present is brought to the fore through a mix of materiality, processes and styles. This can be seen in Franco Albini’s Wall Lights (1950-1954), constructed in a monochromatic palette and a juxtaposing medley of patinated brass and painted wood; Maarten Baas’ Grandmother Clock (2013), a sleek, curvy and modern take on the grandfather clock construed of brass and digital equipment; and Campana Brothers’ Autumn Sofa (2017), appearing like the aftermath of a forest fire and inviting the viewer to sit amongst a seat cast in iron and woven fabric. Zanine Caldas’ timeless Denuncia Stool (1980), which is created from reclaimed wood and presented in a slick and chunky design, will also be exhibiting alongside Wendell Castle’s A Sculpted Door (1976), which boasts a woven-like composition in a stark, jet-black tone conceived in a confrontational mix of maple, ebonised maple, glass and brass.