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Eileen Gray
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AUDIO
Eileen Gray
With the Irish furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray we are entering a place from the 1920s. Still today Gray is known for her innovative furniture designs. But she also designed houses. My great wish was to thematically explore Eileen Gray’s house by the name of E.1027 in this exhibition. She had it built between 1926 and 1929 on the French Mediterranean coast for herself and her significant other, Jean Badovici. The moniker E.1027 is a cipher referencing both of their names.
You see 38 black-and-white photographs taken by Eileen Gray after the house was finished. I tried to present the pictures in a way that enables us to walk through the rooms of the house, as it were. It begins with an outside view of the building, leads into the main living space with a balcony, before moving into the dining area with a sleeping alcove. From there, we enter Eileen Gray’s combined bedroom and study with a large bathroom. The tour then takes us to the spiral staircase leading to the roof, to the guest room, and finally to the kitchen.
Gray expected the architecture of her time to address the inner needs and movements of the people using that space. She tried to realize this expectation by creating rooms that seamlessly flow into one another, without losing their independent nature. She even allowed walls and furniture to merge. Look at the photographs of the different chests of drawers and tables. They seem to be growing out of the walls. Yet they simultaneously adapt to the movements of their users thanks to the pivoting function.
Gray’s photographs attest to a luxurious, modern lifestyle equipped with every comfort. They reflect the self-image of an emancipated woman and her social status. The photos are so important to me because they are an example of how people, spaces, and even furniture can engage in reciprocal exchange.
You see 38 black-and-white photographs taken by Eileen Gray after the house was finished. I tried to present the pictures in a way that enables us to walk through the rooms of the house, as it were. It begins with an outside view of the building, leads into the main living space with a balcony, before moving into the dining area with a sleeping alcove. From there, we enter Eileen Gray’s combined bedroom and study with a large bathroom. The tour then takes us to the spiral staircase leading to the roof, to the guest room, and finally to the kitchen.
Gray expected the architecture of her time to address the inner needs and movements of the people using that space. She tried to realize this expectation by creating rooms that seamlessly flow into one another, without losing their independent nature. She even allowed walls and furniture to merge. Look at the photographs of the different chests of drawers and tables. They seem to be growing out of the walls. Yet they simultaneously adapt to the movements of their users thanks to the pivoting function.
Gray’s photographs attest to a luxurious, modern lifestyle equipped with every comfort. They reflect the self-image of an emancipated woman and her social status. The photos are so important to me because they are an example of how people, spaces, and even furniture can engage in reciprocal exchange.