Jeremy Pradier-Jeauneau
From Cinema to Contemporary Design
“Creation is like Frankenstein’s monster: it’s made of separate pieces that have been sewn together with its own coherence.”
This September, designer Jeremy Pradier-Jeauneau takes over the Hôtel de la Marine, formerly the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne (the department that used to be responsible for the order, upkeep, storage and repair of all the furniture and art in the royal palaces) with his first individual show. The French creator settled in this sumptuous decor and took over three floors with his installation called “Le Labyrinthe”, a poetic piece offering a unique immersive experience. We met him during the inauguration of this sensitive and vibrant project.
You are a publisher, an antique dealer, a gallery owner and established designer, yet you started your career in French cinema. How did you come to design?
Jeremy Pradier-Jeaneau:
By chance! I studied decorative arts at university, as well as the connections between contemporary sculpture and 20th century design, but everything really changed when I set up a stall in the Puces de Saint-Ouen, ten years ago. I felt like I’d seen everything about the cinema industry, and I had the opportunity to explore a new path… and that was the beginning of quite the adventure. From vintage design to contemporary creation, I have evolved slowly, but surely. I also trusted people who saw my potential, like Cécile Coquelet from Monoprix, and allowed me to unleash a creativity that only needed to spring!
Last year, after ten years at the Puces de Saint-Ouen, you inaugurated your first permanent gallery in Paris, a place that you define as a laboratory. What did you want to achieve with Galerie Pradier-Jeauneau??
Jeremy Pradier-Jeaneau:
Pradier-Jeauneau is part of the Studio Jeremy Pradier-Jeauneau ecosystem. It is a space of exploration for artists, designers and partners, but first and foremost, I want it to be a shopping place. Clients can come to furnish their home, buy a sofa, a painting, a ceramic lamp or a pair of vintage low chairs: in short, they can furnish a place entirely, with taste. To me, curation is about finding similarities between eras and styles. However, I would not define my selection as eclectic. Whether it is the gallery or my stand on the flea market, they’re both inhabited spaces, lived in, dense in the way life is, but staged like a movie set. We create atmospheres, and stories are hidden behind each object. The most beautiful thing is that curation evolves constantly with sales and purchases, a perpetual metamorphosis.
Although you are very familiar with international fairs, you are now presenting your first large-scale solo project during Paris Design Week. How did the project come about?
Jeremy Pradier-Jeaneau:
Creation is like Frankenstein’s monster: it’s made of separate pieces that have been sewn together with its own coherence. Le Labyrinthe was born like that at the Hôtel de la Marine, little by little, in pieces. Nevertheless, there were two essential moments: the first is the meeting with Pierre Gendrot from Paris Design Week to whom I submitted my installation project, which he presented to Bruno Cordeau and Astrid Lefevre from the Hôtel de la Marine; the second is the genesis of Le Labyrinthe, during a visit to Versailles in August 2024. I was with my partner Marco, to whom I talked to him about the lost labyrinth of Louis XIV in the park… and the idea came like that!
Is the title, Le Labyrinthe, a reference to the myth of Daedalus?
Jeremy Pradier-Jeaneau:
Labyrinths have been a source of inspiration for two millennia, fuelled by myths, imagery and interpretations. It’s like working with Catherine Deneuve: she has done everything there is to do in the cinema industry! So working on this installation about a labyrinth also meant taking into consideration this rich history: I had to bypass it, divert it, nourish it and celebrate it. I would also say that Greek mythology brought me a lot as a child. I was quite mature beyond my years and I read very scholarly things about Zeus, Theseus, etc. And several years later, my imagination is still very stimulated by these references!
Your installation is a skillful blend of art, design, heritage and craftsmanship. Do you think it represents the future of creation today?
Jeremy Pradier-Jeaneau:
I think that the future of creation is transversality. The means of transmitting knowledge and identities are becoming increasingly fast, dense and interconnected. Why couldn’t we tap into our own potentials and limit ourselves? When designing this installation at the Hôtel de la Marine, it seemed essential to me to invite artisans, artists and wonderful Maisons. The talent of others is very inspiring to me! And all these encounters resulted in an unprecedented, surprising mix, where everyone has the space to shine, to be part of a collective venture while showing their individuality. It’s the same for me as a creative: I often go beyond the frame: design leads to fashion, which leads to music, which leads to cinema… You just have to always follow Ariadne’s thread to not get lost and keep a coherent and readable project
What can we expect from Pradier-Jeauneau for the PAD London next October?
Jeremy Pradier-Jeaneau:
For my second participation in PAD London, I will exhibit my flagship artists and new artworks, new artists too, and pieces from the Jeremy Pradier-Jeauneau collection. More than ever, I want to do what I love and suits me!
Interview by Say Who
Photos: Cedric Canezza
