India Mahdavi: Under the Sun of the Grand Palais
Samuel Kaur
At Art Paris, India Mahdavi Editions presents a selection of recent and older pieces for the first time.
Installed beneath the glass roof of the Grand Palais, the display brings together furniture, objects, and surfaces that play with contrast. The installation, created by India Mahdavi, is built around saturation. Colors are not used sparingly. Bright pinks, deep reds, yellows, and blues occupy the space without hesitation. Instead of separating objects by tone or function, the pieces are placed side by side, creating a visual tension. Smooth lacquered surfaces meet textured fabrics. Geometric patterns sit next to more fluid shapes. The result is not a controlled harmony but a deliberate clash.
A Space Built on Contrast
India Mahdavi’s work often focuses on color as structure. Here, color becomes the main language. Large areas of flat color define the space more than the forms themselves. Chairs, tables, and decorative objects appear almost secondary to the overall composition. They act as elements within a larger image rather than isolated designs.
This approach creates a rhythm that moves across the installation. The eye does not settle in one place. Instead, it shifts between surfaces, following lines, contrasts, and repetitions. Some pieces feel familiar, drawn from earlier collections, while others introduce new variations in material or proportion. The mix of old and new reinforces the idea of continuity without repetition.
There is also a sense of imbalance in Mahdavi’s works. Objects do not align perfectly. Proportions vary, and patterns sometimes compete rather than complement each other. This imbalance is intentional. It avoids the polished, predictable look often associated with design exhibitions.
A Living Arrangement
The installation has been described as functioning like a “dysfunctional family.” This idea is visible in how the pieces relate to each other. Some objects dominate, others recede, and a few seem out of place. Yet together, they form a complete environment, or even a family.
The space feels active rather than static. It suggests movement and interaction, even though the objects themselves remain fixed. The density of color and form creates a kind of visual noise, but it does not become chaotic. There is a structure underneath, even if it is not immediately clear.
India Mahdavi avoids presenting her work as a series of individual highlights. Instead, the focus is on the group. Each piece gains meaning from its position within the whole. This collective approach shifts attention away from single objects and toward the overall atmosphere.
Interventions by Julian Farade
For this presentation, Mahdavi invited Julian Farade to contribute to the installation. His work introduces a different layer into the space. Strange, almost surreal creatures appear among the furniture and objects.
These figures do not blend in. They disrupt the arrangement and add another level of contrast. Their forms are less structured, more unpredictable. While Mahdavi’s pieces rely on geometry and color fields, Farade’s creatures bring irregularity and narrative elements.
The interaction between the two creates a shift in tone. What could have remained a purely formal exploration of color and material becomes something more unstable. The creatures suggest movement, presence, and even tension within the space.
Under the Glass Roof
The setting of the Grand Palais plays a key role. Natural light filters through the glass roof, changing the perception of colors throughout the day. Bright tones become sharper under direct sunlight, while shadows soften the contrasts of Mahdavi’s works.
This changing light reinforces the idea of saturation. Colors are not fixed; they react to their environment. The installation becomes a temporary condition rather than a permanent display.
In this context, Mahdavi’s presentation does not aim for clarity or resolution. It focuses on coexistence of materials, colors, forms, and influences.
Explore more India Mahdavi’s works here.
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Samuel is a Paris-based creative marketing student and writer. When he got bad grades in school or behaved badly, his parents punished him by making him read - maybe that's where it began. What felt like torture at the time has now turned out to be a great gift.
Two years ago, he moved to Paris for his fashion studies. Since then the urge to write has only grown stronger. When he's not working on articles, he writes mostly film scripts or poetry. Beyond writing, he has a deep-rooted passion for cinema and enjoys engaging in all forms of filmmaking.
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