yves de la tour d’auvergne
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September 10 – October 31, 2026
30 rue de Seine, 75006 Paris
For the autumn season, Pulp Galerie presents a tribute to Yves de la Tour d’Auvergne (1927-2023), French designer and sculptor.
Through a selection of works created between the 1980s and 1990s, Pulp Galerie highlights the artist’s distinctive and elegant aesthetic: through folding, materials are transformed into sculptures or furniture.
Although Yves de la Tour d’Auvergne initially devoted himself to painting, it was through a reflection on light that he began creating paper sculptures. Folding, tearing, cutting: his sculptures gradually came to life. Made primarily from marble powder, their silky texture and apparent lightness evoke the qualities of burnished paper.
Folding as a language
For Yves de la Tour d’Auvergne, the fold resonates like an origami form. It is never merely a decorative motif. Instead, it becomes a principle of construction capable of organizing space, suggesting movement, and revealing light.
This exploration can be seen in the Demi-Lune stool-table (1984), whose restrained lines evoke a sheet delicately folded back onto itself. The Olta chairs in patinated metal (1984) extend this reflection. Reduced to a few angular surfaces, they appear to have been cut and folded from a single sheet of metal.
Sculptures to live with
Each of Yves de la Tour d’Auvergne’s creations is conceived as a sculpture in its own right: form takes precedence, while function serves merely as a pretext.
The Alpha armchair (1982) is among the most emblematic works in the selection presented at Pulp Galerie. With its massive armrests and angular forms, it perfectly embodies the folding of matter. The Christony armchair develops a more geometric silhouette while retaining the same impression of a sculpted object.
Light as a material
Although paper remained at the origin of his artistic vocabulary, Yves de la Tour d’Auvergne quickly developed his own manufacturing processes. By combining resin and marble powder, he succeeded in preserving the whiteness and texture of paper while giving his works a unique sculptural dimension.
Presented as a pair in the exhibition, the Albatros lamps (1988) are among Yves de la Tour d’Auvergne’s most singular creations. Resting on a metal base, they are topped with a tall, slender lampshade. To switch on the lamp, the shade gently tilts, like a bird bowing its head. A discreet yet almost living presence, characteristic of the artist’s attention to movement and light.
Created the following year, the Marmora chairs (1989) are among the most representative works of this period. Their backrests appear to result from a simple fold.
The same investigation can be found in the Ellipse Pise table (1994). Supported by five marble-powder legs, its glass top reveals the entire structure of the work. The restraint of its materials and the simplicity of its lines give this piece a timeless elegance, allowing it to integrate seamlessly into any interior.
Through this exhibition, Pulp Galerie once again reaffirms the conviction that has guided it from the very beginning: at Pulp, form is king, function secondary.
LES ŒUVRES DISPONIBLES
