08/10/2024
Lifestyle
Published in Unique Estates Life Magazine Spring 2024.
The French creator Mathieu Lehanneur, the designer of the torch for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, has been honored by Maison et Objet for his career achievements.
Mathieu Lehanneur (born 1974) is recognized in the field of design for his multidisciplinary creative approach, inspired by science and technology. He graduated in design from the École Nationale de Création Industrielle in Paris. His thesis focused on the design of medications, aiming to improve the relationship between patients and the treatment of their diseases. Although it was a student project, it caught the attention of MoMA in New York and was immediately acquired for the museum's permanent collection. After graduation, Lehanneur established his own studio and began collaborating with brands like Cartier and Veuve Clicquot, designing interiors and creating furniture and decorative objects. Just five years later, he received the Grand Prize for Creativity in Paris, and in 2007, he presented one of his most recognizable projects, which brought him global fame—the Andrea. Developed in collaboration with Harvard University, it is an air purification device with a revolutionary design using live plants. For this product, the designer received the prestigious Best Invention Award in the USA. Another significant peak in his career was his appointment as Chief Designer at Huawei in 2015.
"Objects have the power to transform us." This belief underpins the work of Mathieu Lehanneur. Therefore, he seeks and finds inspiration in science, art, nature, and history. In 2018, he created a brand that bears his name. When discussing his work, he prefers to use the word magic.
"My projects are often described as poetic. My poetry is always functional and the result of complex development. But I prefer the word magic, not poetry. I want the objects I create to convey a sense of the inexplicable, to provoke emotion, and to evoke wonder."
The French creator shares that he finds it difficult to define design. "I couldn’t define where it begins and where it ends. I see design as a territory without fixed boundaries. In this sense, I view my creativity as a global experience. Every new object, piece of furniture, lighting fixture is like a new note in a larger musical composition or a new phrase in an inspiring story. My projects are different, but there is something that connects them—they seem to be in constant dialogue," says the designer. "In my work, I am guided by nature and natural phenomena. My desire is to create living objects that naturally find their place in space and inhabit it. They continue to evolve, become a cause for interaction, or encourage meditation."
"I want the objects I create to convey a sense of the inexplicable, to provoke emotion, and to evoke wonder."
When asked how he became a designer, Mathieu replies, "Designers often say they started drawing and creating as children. That was the case with me, too, but I wanted to become a visual artist. So I started studying drawing. After six months, I gave up because it turned out to be too vast. In art, we are very free, but I needed to answer a specific question. So I completely changed my path and chose design. When I applied, we had an oral interview, and the jury asked me, 'Who is your favorite designer?' At that time, I didn't know anyone and answered that I admired the designer who created the escalator because it is functional and beautiful. I still wonder how someone thought of creating a moving staircase. Apparently, my answer pleased the jury because I was accepted."
Mathieu is the youngest in a family of seven children. "I grew up in a micro-community where the needs and desires of each individual were placed after those of the family. And in life, we all face a constant confrontation between our own desires and the common interests. Maybe I turned to design to find solutions for large groups of people while trying to understand and care for each one individually."
To pay for his education, Mathieu became something of a guinea pig for pharmaceutical companies. "I tested medications before they were commercialized. I spent quite a long time in hospitals and had time to think. At that time, my attention was focused on medications as a potential design product but also as a metaphor for the design I wanted to create—magical and therapeutic. An object that does not reveal its functionality at first glance and remains somewhat mysterious. An object that can be connected as much to the body as to the soul and spirit."
Mathieu Lehanneur shares that the greatest influence on his professional path was an airbag. "The moment I was saved by this airbag, I realized it was the greatest object ever designed. It is completely hidden, invisible, contains air, but it is there for you before you know you need it, and it saves you without asking for anything in return."
Mathieu Lehanneur is the French designer chosen to create the torch and cauldron for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this year.
"Designing these objects is a creative dream. It can only come true once in a lifetime, like a miraculous encounter with great history. As ritualistic as it is magical, the torch is a mythical object. A symbol of unity and sharing, it will travel thousands of kilometers, passed from hand to hand by land and sea," says the designer. Lehanneur's torch is distinguished by its brilliant surface. It was created around three important symbols—equality, water, and tranquility. The idea of equality aims to highlight the connection between the Olympic and Paralympic Games—the two events will share a torch with the same design. The symbol of water is inspired by the torch's journey across seas and oceans. Its silhouette integrates wave effects and reliefs, reminiscent of the movements of water and the reflections of light on its surface. Tranquility, as a meeting of peace with the unity of people and nations, is reflected through curves and rounded edges, conveying a message of gentleness, generosity, and brotherhood.
At the January edition of the French exhibition Maison et Objet, where he was chosen as Designer of the Year, Mathieu Lehanneur created the scenography for a special space dedicated to his career. Outonomy, as it was called, harmoniously reflected the theme of the exhibition—Tech Eden. "This theme invites us to return to our roots, looking towards the future. We could use the intelligence of nature by giving up dominance over it so that we can build the foundation for a new collaboration between people and their environment." Lehanneur's project was based on the idea of independence and freedom. And its main question was: "What do we really need?" It’s worth considering…
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