LEVEL PART III: Group Show – Paris

For this occasion, François Laffanour and collector Charles Riva bring contemporary international artists into dialogue with iconic pieces by Twentieth-century designers.

For the third installment of this collaboration initiated in 2023, Laffanour | Galerie Downtown presents a selection of exceptional pieces, true treasures of Twentieth-century design. Featuring works by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, José Zanine Caldas, and Luis Barragán, the exhibition highlights the craftsmanship and innovative spirit that shaped the history of modern design.

This selection underscores the enduring and heritage-rich significance of these works. Invited by the gallery, Charles Riva extends this perspective by pairing the gallery’s iconic pieces with emblematic works from the international contemporary art scene.

George Condo, master of “artificial realism,” unites oil, pigments, and metallic paint on a single canvas in Black Channel (c. 2016–2017), navigating between portraiture and abstraction. Richard Prince appropriates imagery drawn from popular culture in Three Girlfriends, One with Motorcycle (Gang) (c. 1987–1988), exposing the interplay of desire and illusion embedded within these images.

Roni Horn, best known for her solid glass sculptures, presents Untitled ("...he is remembered for a remark he didn’t make.") (c. 2012–2013), a meditative work on memory and perception, its perfectly smooth volume capturing light and inviting quiet contemplation. 

Two photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, Untitled (Terry) (1974) and Italian Vogue (1984), trace the evolution of his gaze, from intimate, spontaneous Polaroids to the refined elegance of gelatin silver prints. 

 

Laffanour | Galerie Downtown
18 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris