Paris reaffirms its place as the epicentre of designer furniture with the opening of Salon d’Avril, a collective exhibition organised by Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr Advisory (PCSC) in collaboration with New York gallery Friedman Benda. Conceived as a contemporary tribute to the tradition of Parisian salons—between academic heritage and creative dissent—the exhibition offers an immersive, floor-to-ceiling installation that celebrates the intersection of generations, disciplines and geographies.
In this context, the presentation of Lands n.03 (2026) by French designer Ferréol Babin stands out, revealed in parallel with his first solo exhibition in New York. Renowned for his mastery of wood sculpture and marquetry, Babin expands his language here: furniture is transformed into a pictorial and narrative surface, in an intimate exploration where craftsmanship dialogues with painting.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is Joris Laarman’s Microstructures Adaptation Chair (Long Cell) (2014).
This iconic piece, featured in the collections of the Denver Art Museum and the Centre Pompidou, embodies the synthesis between advanced technology and craftsmanship. Inspired by the structural principles of cellular organisms and created using cutting-edge manufacturing processes, the work establishes a conceptual bridge with Symbio, the designer’s first exhibition in a decade, recently held in New York.
Continuing their participation in TEFAF Maastricht, the Italian duo Formafantasma presents a new seating piece that delves deeper into their research on typological essence and formal refinement. The exhibition is further enriched by a historical selection of works by Ettore Sottsass, a founding figure of the gallery’s programme. An enfilade from 1962, three ceramic prototypes from 1968—marked by the influence of Pop Art during his American period—and a luminaire from 1956 reveal his ongoing experimentation with spatial construction and the expressive power of colour.
The sculptural and emotional dimension of design is particularly evident in Gaetano Pesce’s Felt Chest and Closet (1987).
This unique work combines a felt structure with polyurethane doors—the Italian designer’s signature material—in an exercise in formal freedom that combines industry and emotion with a charismatic presence that defies convention.
Visitors will also discover Frida Escobedo’s Creek Stool (2022), conceived in parallel with her international architectural career, and Misha Kahn’s Miss Fishy (2016), a piece that turns gilded bronze into a support for organic and playful imagination.
Through this intergenerational and international dialogue, Salon d’Avril projects a broad and sophisticated vision of contemporary design. More than an exhibition, it stands as a manifesto: an invitation to reconsider how forms are conceived, produced and inhabited in the 21st century.
Founded in 2007, the Friedman Benda gallery has played a decisive role in the expansion of the contemporary design market on a global scale, organising exhibitions, publications and institutional collaborations that consolidate design as a cultural discipline and collectible object. With this presentation in Paris, it reaffirms its commitment to a scene that finds in the French capital a natural setting for excellence and innovation.
