A creative exchange
This one-of-a-kind new exhibition in Melbourne brings Bonnard, the French virtuoso of colour, together with a world-renowned architect. By Amy Campbell.
Ishould like to arrive in front of the young painters of the year 2000 on the wings of a butterfly.” So said Pierre Bonnard, the French painter celebrated for his brilliant use of colour, in 1946. It’s poignant and somewhat remarkable then, that in 2023 the artist’s wish should manifest inside the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in a new exhibition that sees his works staged against a vivid backdrop of wallpaper and scene-setting props designed exclusively for the space by India Mahdavi.
The Iranian-French architect and designer is, like Bonnard was in his time, revered for her evocative application of pigment and texture to transform a space. You’ve likely come across someone Instagramming her work – such as the viral, velvety pink parlour room inside Sketch London. You can expect the same playful use of colour in the spaces she designs for NGV’s Bonnard celebration.
“It could be a risk to present a painter’s work in this much more ‘designed’ immersive environment,” points out senior curator at the NGV, Dr Miranda Wallace. “And we wouldn’t do this for every exhibition – it has to be sympathetic with the intentions of the artist. And with Bonnard, he decided very early on that he didn’t just want to paint art within a frame. He wanted to make art that transformed the spaces that people lived in.”
Against the backdrop of Mahdavi’s wonderfully abstract wallpapers and carefully orchestrated rooms filled with curated props and furniture, Bonnard’s vision springs to life. “Being inside and looking out … it’s a genre Bonnard really made his own,” says the curator. She also nods to his aversion towards his paintings appearing ‘old’. “In French the word is craquelure, which refers to the cracking seen across old paintings. He didn’t want his paintings to have any suggestion of that.”
Were this forward-thinking artist still with us, he’d certainly feel proud to see his vision honoured and work presented with such contemporary flair.
Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi opens at the National Gallery of Victoria on June 9.