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| Christian Astuguevieille |
At first view, the hygienic masks worn by the Japanese to avoid contaminating their fellow human beings when they have a cold or flu seem to have little to do with perfume, and therefore in a perfume blog. But in a way, they do: deep down in the past, certain types of smells were thought to cause epidemics, while other smells were thought to protect against them – it always comes back to the air you breathe in and out…
These tragically flimsy masks take on a particularly symbolic, poignant meaning in the wake of another, terrible contamination that no mask can prevent, and therefore, they were the theme chosen for a very special exhibition and auction sale supported by Shiseido, the venerable Japanese cosmetics company who brought us Serge Lutens (another tie-in with perfume).
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| Jean Colonna |
On September 20th and 21st, the French-Japanese online magazine Minimix is staging an exhibition of 100 pieces by French artists and designers, based on the Japanese hygienic mask, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The masks will be auctioned in the evening of the 21st, and the proceeds will be donated to the NGO KNK Japan (Children without borders) to aid the victims of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that befell the country.
This event is especially moving to me as one the family of one my oldest and dearest friends is from Fukushima. If you happen to be in Paris, please stop and see this beautiful exhibition.
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| Sonia Rykiel |
You can visit the exhibition on September 20th from 11 to 6 and on the 21st from 11 to 5. The auction will be held on the 21st at 6 P.M.
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Hall des Maréchaux, 103 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris.
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| Christian Lacroix |
Contact :
Eko Sato / Association Asia Mix Culture
57, rue des Cascades
75020 Paris
TEL. : +33 06 24 92 13 23
You can also follow the “We love Japan” project on this website: minimix-events.blogspot.com
Oh, exhibits in which the artists ring changes on the same form are so illuminating - props to Shiseido for this worthy tribute! And thank you for posting photos that one can click on to expand for a better look.
RépondreSupprimerI was awestruck by the tsunami and deeply moved by the dignity of the Japanese in the face of such immense destruction. There have been very sad news items here recently about parts of the Fukushima area being declared uninhabitable for the next twenty years - how tragic for your friend and so many others be exiled. ~~nozknoz
Nozknoz, my friend left Japan as a girl, but as she's in her 60s, this means she'll never be able to visit her family homeland again. Of course this is a small heartbreak compared to the people who lost their loved ones, homes or health...
RépondreSupprimerOn a brighter note, the top picture in the French post is of a piece by another dear friend, Philippe Mayaux, who was precisely scheduled to fly to Japan to take part in an exhibition when the disaster struck. I know he and his wife were deeply affected. As we all were.
What a great idea, thanks for bringing it to our attention. I have family and friends in Japan, and Fukushima was one of my sister's favorite places on the planet.
RépondreSupprimer-Marla
Marla, I remember we were talking about Japan a while ago and even hoping we'd cross paths there... It's still one of the places in the world I'm hoping I'll see some day. Attending this event (and reporting on it) is a tiny way of showing affection and respect for a country I've long felt affinities for.
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