Muller Van Severen Exhibition at Villa Cavrois in Croix, France.

Standing Lamp by Muller Van Severen at Villa Cavrois, France. Photo by Fien Muller.

Forming part of Lille Metropole 2020, World Design Capital, the Belgian duo Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen were invited to Villa Cavrois for a unique exhibition. Inspired by the modernist masterpiece by architect Mallet-Stevens, the duo present a selection of their oeuvre, including the brand new ALLTUBES series, carefully set up in various rooms spread across the modernist castle. Their new piece, dubbed ‘Sofa Cavrois’, was designed especially for the occasion.

The discovery of Villa Cavrois was a revelation for Muller Van Severen, as Mallet-Stevens’ masterpiece resonated so closely with the design couple. This exhibition presents a rigorous selection of furniture and objects, sometimes created especially for the event, and always in dialogue with the villa.

“Time becomes irrelevant in this project, as we want to create the poetic feeling that our objects could originate from the same time as the building. In the same way that the building itself feels very contemporary,” said Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen.

An architectural manifesto, Villa Cavrois was designed and built in Croix between 1929 and 1932 for Paul Cavrois, a textile industrialist from the Nord department.

Established in 2011 by artists Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, Muller Van Severen’s collections naturally sit between design and art. All of their own production pieces are handmade by small-scale fabricators and skilled artisans, with an honesty to the rawness and irregularity of the chosen material.

‘Design ! Muller Van Severen at Villa Cavrois’ runs from 16 June 2020 until 31 October 2020. This exhibition is generously supported by Meert Tradition, the Cambier brewery and Square Meters Paris.
 

[Images courtesy of Muller Van Severen. Photography by Fien Muller (exhibition images); Sofa Cavrois by Frederik Vercruysse; Portrait by Mirjam Devriendt.]