121 ROME KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME

Houdin the Magician has appeared in the Hermès temporary shop that has just opened in Italy’s capital. A boutique of wonders where, between magic spells and juggling feats, it’s the objects that surprise, as they reveal their cunning

In Rome, they swear they saw Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin in Via Condotti. Abracadabra! It’s true. The most famous French illusionist of the 19th century has disembarked from an imaginary time machine in the historic Hermès storefront of the Italian capital, used for the fashion house’s special projects ever since the new boutique in nearby Via Bocca di Leone was opened. From now until December, the space will host a temporary shop that’s anything but ordinary, with pieces as surprising as a rabbit being pulled out of a hat. In this playful, original concept store, custom designed for the eternal city, the universes of three characters from the 1800s - still considered superheroes in France today - will be on display for three months each: that of the magician Houdin, filmmaker and illusionist Georges Méliès and writer and inventor Raymond Roussel. Transforming the space into a hybrid between boutique, gallery and museum were designer Matali Crasset and contemporary art curator Stéphane Corréard, who came up with the exhibition structures and selection of items on display, respectively. «I asked them to reflect on the topic of play, giving them carte blanche. I have to admit, when I stood in front of the project, I was like a child in awe. It’s about childhood without being childish...», explained Artistic Director Pierre-Alexis Dumas. So, with a wave of the magic wand, the shop has become an extraordinaryWunderkammer with enigmas to solve and fanciful stories to read and listen to. Contained within it, recent creations engage in a sort of conversation with objects from the private collection of Émile Hermès, grandson of the man who founded the Parisian maison in 1837, and those from the historic archive: «There are a few really old pieces, almost archaic, and new items. We wanted to put this very relationship, that between past and present, on centre stage. My father always told me that creation can’t exist without memory. I remember when, as a young boy, I saw the craftsmen working and transforming leather; they were like magicians to me. Behind each object is life, a story: they’re the real protagonists», emphasised Pierre-Alexis Dumas. A pocket watch next to a skateboard, the hat worn by King Louis Philippe and the gloves of Pope Pius XII, silk scarves, clothes and accessories find a place in a series of maxi suitcases, displayed like a cabinet of curiosities. Objects made to last, to be passed down from generation to generation. When touched, they reveal their artfulness and their prestige. Protagonists in a surreal tale that leads the visitor through an original experience (shopping included) amid make-up, art, moving robots, optical illusions and chests of memories ready to safeguard even more stories. After the wizardry of Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (the man who inspired EhrichWeisz to choose the stage name of Harry Houdini), it will be the science-fiction visions of Georges Méliès, considered the second father of film after the Lumière brothers. The 3rd act will bring the words of writer (and inventor of the camper) Raymond Roussel, who travelled half the world in his caravan, final destination: Rome. It was 1920 and Via Condotti wasn’t yet the luxury street it is today, but the magic that inspired Hermès was already in the air.