SPACE May 2023 (No. 666)
View of the Hermès Parade / ⓒKyungsub Shin
In the darkness, dancers frolic about pushing giant wooden boxes on wheels. Unidentifiable except for the words ‘Handle with pleasure’ and ‘Handle with love’, the boxes are unlocked to reveal exquisite furniture, lighting, and tableware. On Apr. 3, the Hermès Parade, a spectacular celebration of the Hermès Home Collection, was held in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, organised by Hermès in collaboration with renowned choreographer Philippe Decouflé. This unique blend of dance and performance was designed to showcase the harmonious relationship established between form, material and function that is at the heart of the Hermès Home Collection. Rather than displaying static indoor objects on the show floor, 70 colourful performances by 56 dancers and movers brought more than 400 objects to life, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Filling the 1500m² exhibition space were furniture, lighting, textiles and tableware curated by Charlotte Macaux Perlman and Alexis Fabry, Artistic Directors of the Hermès Home Collection. The site of the performance offered a constantly evolving spectacle. The box and the Hermès Home Collection pieces were transformed into a stage, a performance set and a fashion show runway. Performers moved around the 24m² box stage, which was divided into two rooms, moving objects from the Home Collection from one room to the other, one by one, creating an unpredictable performance, with some performers carrying flags and others moving onto a quilted bedspread. There were also objects that stood still in the midst of the action. A collection of rugs with iconic patterns reminiscent of Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (1863). The dancers used the rugs as a stage and performed freely on them. Meanwhile, the audience, who watched the performance side-by-side without any hierarchal separation, became part of the movement and joined the performance as one of the performers, no longer a spectator. The event concluded with a joyous pony dance through the entire audience. The dance was a reference to Hermès' equestrian roots. ‘While we are committed to the perfection of our products based on craftsmanship, it is equally important to present them in a way that is light and enjoyable, and this performance was the answer’, commented Hermès, who organised the event. by Kim Jia
Views of the Hermès Parade / ©BAKI, KwangChan Song, Doki Hong
