PARIS.- For the third consecutive year, Artcurial will organise an exemplary Design auction during the FIAC on October 25th 2016. Once again, the auction will offer an original take on artistic creation from the 20th century and present twenty exceptional pieces, gathered around the theme of metal. This sale follows on from the success of the 2014 edition Ron Arad: Masterworks and 2015 Design Masterpieces.

Baptised, Heavy Metal, the auction gathers works entirely made of metal from Pierre Chareau to Marc Newson or Jean Prouvé to Ron Arad. The exhibition creates a dialogue between these twenty metal works rigorously selected for their importance in the history of design.

Metal has greatly contributed to writing history and creating our modern society, whether it be for building train tracks during the industrial revolution or producing household electrical objects during the 1930s and 1940s.

“As the sole design event organised during the FIAC, this auction and its exhibition have become an unmissable stop off for contemporary art and design collectors.

As metal is a symbol of modernity, it was an obvious task for us to unite twenty exceptional pieces made from this material. We managed to gather impressive works such as this skyscraper, gratte-ciel light by Serge Mouille which is the only version known to date, or this Pod od drawers by Marc Newson, which is one of the rare objects to remain in the hands of a private collector.” --Emmanuel Berard, Director Design department, Artcurial

Metal furniture from The French Masters
The challenge for this auction was to select rare metal pieces which clearly illustrate the way in which material is worked, representing the work of the artist or the singular way a designer produces. This is the case for the rare console table ‘en forme libre’ by Charlotte Perriand made with Pierre Jeanneret, and boasts a table top made from oak covered in aluminium and table legs made from sheets of metal and tubes of varnished, arched metal (estimation : 100 000 – 200 000 € / 110 000 – 220 000 $).

The quest for rare works amongst designers familiar with metal, carried out by the Artcurial Design team should create quite a stir amongst collectors. Highlights include the discovery of the aluminium prototype small table destined to support the famous light spheres by Jacques Le Chevallier in the 1920s. The small table can be demounted entirely and was never produced. It will be on offer this autumn, (estimation: 60 000 – 80 000 € / 66 000– 88 000 $).

A Heavy Metal auction without works by Jean Prouvé or by Ron Arad is unimaginable. For sale is a metal sculpture in the form of the ‘Sit’ armchair (estimation: 35 000 – 45 000 € / 38 500 – 49 500 $) or a rare metal dining table, « Tropique n°503, from 1951, (estimation : 60 000 – 80 000 € / 66 000 – 88 000 $).

Metal decorative arts with Marc Newson
For the Heavy Metal auction, Artcurial will offer an extremely rare work by one of the most sought-after contemporary designers: a chiffonier ‘pod of drawers’ by Marc Newson. It was the second work made by the Australian designer at the beginning of his career in 1987. Entirely made by hand, it is estimated at half a million euros.

In the middle of the 1980’s, Marc Newson was a young art student. He had originally trained to work with jewellery and was passionate about European decoration magazines which he discovered on his carpenter grandfather’s bookshelf. At this time he created two key works which sprung out of the European decorative art culture influence and the young jewellery designer’s savoir-faire: Lockheed Lounge chair (1986) and Pod of Drawers (1987).

For this last creation, he was inspired by French Art Deco and transformed the famous Chiffonnier anthropomorphe made by André Grould in 1925. Initially intended to be the main piece of furniture in ‘Madame’s bedroom’, it is delicately sand-beaten and made from cut aluminium panels, riveted to a fiberglass structure

The first editions of Pod of drawers were acquired by the most important museums (One of which is part of the Musées des Arts Décoratifs collection in Paris) and out of the ten editions made by hand by Marc Newson, only a select few made it into private collections. This is the case of the edition we are putting up for auction which, for over a decade, has belonged to a dedicated collector.

Metal Lights: Serge Mouille and Ingo Maurer
Finally, several lights will feature in this sale just like the steel Gratte-Ciel light by Serge Mouille (estimation : 200 000 – 300 000 € / 220 000 – 330 000 $) which is different to his other famous lights. Its geometric form was inspired by constructivism and was initially presented at the stand of the Société de création de modèles at the Salon des arts ménagers de 1962. The entwined geometric windows form an alternative façade. A floodlight in the top part of the light provides zenith lighting. Only three or four versions were made as the construction was relatively complicated. The light on offer is the only one that can be found today and is often referred to in monographies about the artist.

Another rare model, the 1970s Big M table light by Ingo Maurer is estimated at 4 000 – 6 000 € /4 400 – 6 600 $. Made with a brass and chrome steel base, it was one of the first lights to light up in a theatrical way: the Philipps Neon in an M form. From the stock of a shop, it is sold complete with a change of light bulbs – blubs which are impossible to find today! The ‘M’ stands for metal and also Maurer and is a rarity on offer for collectors.