Always grounded, flying high

From serial construction and modular storage systems to iconic tubular steel furniture, Charlotte Perriand (1903 – 1999) looked beyond her own present into the future with her designs: "Charlotte Perriand thought of design holistically – as a way of life, as a bridge between art, design and architecture, and as an expression of political attitude. This is precisely where the connection to our programme lies: the Kunstmuseen Krefeld also sees itself as a place where design questions are always social questions. Perriand's work is powerful evidence of how aesthetic, social and ecological responsibility can work together – and is therefore more relevant today than ever," says museum director and curator Katia Baudin. Perriand wanted to design ‘furniture for the masses’ in order to have a positive influence on people's well-being and their lives, which often took place in small spaces, with practical and comfortable designs. To this end, she pushed the supposed boundaries of the disciplines in her designs and combined different design trends.

The show of Perriand's multifaceted work comprises over 500 exhibits. These illustrate her collaboration with the architect and furniture designer Le Corbusier and his cousin, the Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret, for whose buildings she designed the interiors for ten years. This was followed by a position as an industrial design consultant for the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry in Tokyo and designs for objects specifically intended to be produced by local artisans. The stackable ‘Ombra Tokyo Chair’ made of plywood, created as a tribute to the Japanese art of paper folding, remains a classic in Japan to this day. As one of the avant-garde figures of modernism, she had a significant influence on the era with her work, her love of travel and her independent lifestyle.

In parallel, insights into her interior design projects are provided: always mindful of the symbiosis between humans and nature, she conceived a harmonious overall picture from many details, such as for the Les Arcs holiday resort in Savoy. Photographic works and experiments are also part of Charlotte Perriand's diverse oeuvre. Her creative development can be traced through the exhibits from the 1920s to the 1970s: While she primarily used industrially manufactured materials at the beginning of her career and avoided wood as a natural raw material due to its transience, she discovered a new appreciation for the material during her stay in Japan and subsequently designed a version of the ‘Chaise longue basculante’ made of bamboo and wood.

Cassina, the Italian furniture manufacturer, is the exhibition's partner and the only company authorised to produce furniture designed by Charlotte Perriand. Thanks to the company's loans and philological research, visitors can experience both Perriand's early works and faithful reconstructions created for the groundbreaking exhibitions in Tokyo in 1940 and 1955. With these, she created a symbiosis between Western modernism and Japanese tradition. Cassina is currently celebrating the 60th anniversary of the ‘Le Corbusier®, Pierre Jeanneret®, Charlotte Perriand®’ collection with a special edition: the first four models are available for a limited time in intense shades of red, blue and green. The limited edition was designed in collaboration with the Le Corbusier Foundation and the heirs of Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand and is part of the “durable” series, which is produced using materials from the circular economy. This further development gives the collection a new perspective and underlines its continuing relevance. Enduring are also her luminaire designs, such as ‘Applique á Volet Pivotant’, made of aluminium and with an adjustable diffuser from 1962, which is now produced by Nemo Lighting.

Due to the patriarchal structures of her time, her work was not given the importance it deserved for many years – Le Corbusier registered the internationally renowned ‘Chaise longue basculante’ recliner and the ‘Fauteuil grand confort’ armchair as his own patents, even though Perriand had contributed significantly to their design. ‘L'Art d'habiter / The Art of Living’ is thus also a look at an emancipated woman whose achievements and self-assured demeanour reflect the transformation of society in the modern era. The main exhibition in Krefeld will be on display at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum (KWM) and Haus Lange. Afterwards, it can be viewed at the Museum der Moderne in Salzburg from 8 May to 13 September 2026 and at the Fundació Joan Miró from 22 October 2026 to 27 February 2027.

Charlotte Perriand. L'Art d'habiter / The Art of Living
Opening: 2 November 2025, 11:30 a.m.
2 November 2025 to 15 March 2026

Kunstmuseen Krefeld
Telephone: +49 2151 975580

Kaiser Wilhelm Museum
Joseph-Beuys-Platz 1
47798 Krefeld

Haus Lange, Haus Esters
Wilhelmshofallee 91–97
47800 Krefeld

Opening hours:
Kaiser Wilhelm Museum
Tue–Sun 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Haus Lange, Haus Esters
Closed until 1 November 2025
Closed on Mondays, closed on 24, 25 and 31 December