The Ministry of Culture has chosen its new bench for the reception area. Arnaud Lapierre’s bench sculpture RONDIN was selected to grace the space, following the joint call for projects by the French Minister of Culture and the Mobilier National. The half-bench, half-carpet artwork aims to redefine the idea of reception. The large 5 x 4.8 m piece encourages visitors to explore new, dynamic, and friendly sitting postures, thus starting a dialogue between the visitor and the surrounding space. The cylinder for sitting offers a comfortable, but vibrant position incomparable with those typical of chairs and sofas.
Deliberately placed at the centre of the reception, to show the importance of culture that should take a central place in any society, the monumental sculpture connects the visitors with the Ministry and its mission – to support artists. Apart from its functional qualities, RONDIN also maintains its artistic and symbolic importance, first visible in its striking aesthetics, and the other, echoing the cultural and heritage mission of the place. The lively, colourful statement piece is a bridge between the government institution and those who enter it.
The inspiration from the 18th century
The bold combination of wood and textile features wooden cylinders resting on a circular 5-meter carpet. The biosourced soyfoam covers the cylinder that’s finished with bog oak plugs. The inside is made from mirror-polished stainless steel, which makes it almost invisible from the outside, creating the illusion of emptiness. RONDIN was produced by two iconic French companies, Atelier de Recherche et de Création (ARC) of the Mobilier National, in partnership with the Robert Four Manufacture. The colours and the finishes correspond to The Triumph of Love by the Gods, a recently restored 18th-century fresco by Antoine Coypel. Coypel’s orche’s and blue motifs are reimagined and reinvented through a series of tile-like carpet patterns. The resemblance to the fresco on view in the Hotel de Rohan is particularly obvious when observed from above.
Art by Arnaud Lapierre
Arnaud Lapierre is a world-famous designer and artist known for his multidisciplinary approach, which includes but is not limited to architecture, eco-design, cognitive art, and experimental installation. Highly revered for promoting French design globally, Lapierre is a recipient of many awards, including the Audi Talents Awards (received during the Paris Designers’ Day 2011) and the POPAI Gold Award won in collaboration with Cognac Louis XIII. The multitalented artist was included in The French Design 100 by VIA (Validation of Innovation in Interior Architecture) founded by France’s Ministry of Industry. He won the Grand Prix du Talent du Luxe (Innovation, 2012) and was named a finalist at Grand Prix de Paris on two separate occasions in 2012 and 2023.
Technical sheet:
RONDIN, Bench-sculpture for the Ministry of Culture
Material: Tufted wool, bog oak, black chrome steel, aluminium, soy foam
Tufted carpet 5 x 4.8 m – realised by Manufacture Robert Four
With the technical participation of ARC
Collection of the Mobilier National, 2024–2025
Design: Arnaud Lapierre
Photo: Paul Tahon
