When it debuted in 1974, Villa Benkemoun offered a radical departure from the Romanesque and medieval architecture found in nearby Arles, its architect Emile Sala embracing swirling geometric forms and clean modernist lines of his master, Le Corbusier. To celebrate the landmark’s 50th anniversary, it will host an exhibition that builds a dialogue between past and present – just like the building itself.
1974 – Past, Present, Future runs from 30th August to 29 September 2024 and is curated by Raphael Giannesini. He’s taken cues from the building for the show, drawing on its experimental and optimistic roots to create a dialogue between artworks and the building.
Villa Benkemoun was commissioned by Pierre and Simone Benkemoun, who moved from Algeria to Arles in 1962. The couple were part of a design movement in France that sought to push the boundaries of traditional design, embracing new forms, functions and materials – and a new aesthetic. Inspired by the progressive vision of Trente Glorieuses—’The Glorious Thirty’ years between 1945 and 1975 that saw exponential economic and creative growth in France—they gave Sala free rein to design their concrete idyll.
Nick Doyle, Valise. Check your baggage, 2020. Atelier Baptiste & Jaina, Pavillon , 2024. Photography: © Laurent Giannesini, courtesy Stems Galerie.
Joseph-André Motte, Roissy Sofa & Table, 1972. Photography: Laurent Giannesini.
Marius Steiger, Two Chairs (Spine), 2024. Raphael Sitbon, Bleu de Bleu, 2020. Photography: Laurent Giannesini.
Alain Jacquet, Mandala à l’oiseau, 1973; Atelier Baptiste & Jaina
Pavillon , 2024. Photography: Laurent Giannesini.
Danai Anesiadou, La race des seigneurs, 2023. Photography courtesy Dependance Gallery.
Maurizio Vetrugno, Cardin, 2007 Lanvin, 2007. Verner Panton, Mira X, modèle Spectrum Design 1973. Photography: Laurent Giannesini
Verner Panton
Mira X, modèle Spectrum Design 1973. Photography: Laurent Giannesini.
Baptiste & Jaina Pavillon, 2024. Photography: Laurent Giannesini.
Maurizio Vetrugno, Cardin, 2007 Lanvin, 2007. Photography: Eliott Le Nan.
Sergio Sarri Manometro A, 1973. Photography: Eliott Le Nan.
RM, Trojan Horse, courtesy Martina Simeti. Photography: Laurent Giannesini.
Sala conjured a radical gesamtkunstwerk that embodied the pinnacle of the movement while engaging its softer side. Instead of modernism’s sharp lines, he adopted gentle curves, creating dynamic and fluid spaces across the property that offer flexibility while paying homage to tradition. He also looked to the past, centring the home around its patio—an inspiration he took from historic riads and haciendas.
While a private villa for 45 years, Villa Benkemoun opened to the public in 2017 when the Benkemouns’ daughter Brigitte refurbished the home and launched it as an event space, gallery and shooting location.
The exhibition, 1974 – Past, Present, Future, gives curious visitors the opportunity to peek inside the storied property while taking in works by Alain Jacquet, Andy Warhol, Claude Parent, Enzo Mari, India Mahdavi, Isabelle Cornaro, Michel Journiac, Joseph-André Motte, Romain Laprade, Victor Vasarely, and others.
