From the 1960s onward, Pierre Paulin established himself as one of the first designers to address the issue of leftovers in a practice that seamlessly combines functionality and environmental responsibility. A quintessential example of this approach is the Blub-Blub, an ingenious modular seating system designed to be upholstered with varied textiles, exclusively selected from leftover materials in the workshop. This process not only anticipates contemporary principles of circular design but also exemplifies Paulin’s visionary approach, where material constraints and creativity coexist in harmony.
In this spirit, a contemporary initiative seeks to bridge Paulin’s legacy with that of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, leading figures of environmental art. The idea is to repurpose the red rope that wrapped the Arc de Triomphe during the iconic 2021 installation to upholster the Chirac sofa, designed by Paulin in 1987 for Paris City Hall. This reinterpretation resonates with Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s ability to elevate industrial materials into poetic statements in public spaces, while simultaneously extending Paulin’s reflections on the sustainability of objects and materials.
By uniting these two approaches, this hybrid work celebrates the convergence of complementary disciplines: design, rooted in utility and form, and art, anchored in ephemerality and symbolism. The Chirac sofa, thus recontextualized, becomes both a witness object and an aesthetic manifesto. It embodies a profound reflection on material and immaterial memory: that of resources, creative gestures, and the narratives they generate.
Bringing together the legacy of Pierre Paulin and Christo means uniting two pioneering visions: sustainable design rooted in utility and form, and ephemeral art that transcends materials and public spaces. With the support of Parley for its transformation, we are repurposing the red rope from the Arc de Triomphe to upholster the Chirac sofa, creating a dialogue between material and poetic memory, between innovation and responsibility.
