Paris: what's that pile of chairs hanging from a building?

Published by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Photos by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Published on October 23th, 2023 at 07:31 p.m.
If you take a stroll down the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris and look up at the sky, you'll undoubtedly see a stack of chairs hanging from the facade of a building directly opposite the Hôtel Bristol. But what exactly is it, and how long can you see it? We tell you all about it.

In Paris, many people have the unfortunate tendency to walk with their heads down, eyes glued to their phones. Yet this habit often causes us to miss out on beautiful, sometimes surprising and unexpected things. Such is the case in the capital's chic 8th arrondissement, at N°77 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré. If you look up, you'll see a stack of chairs hanging from the third floor of a building.

A closer look reveals that this installation hangs from the façade of the renowned interior design house Liaigre. Liaigre's Right Bank gallery invited Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata to explore the relationship between art, architecture, design and everyday life. And the artist, born in Hokkaido in 1953, had the idea of creating, specifically for the venue, this original installation made from wooden chairs.

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Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?

Tadashi Kawamata is renowned for his monumental site-specific installations, created by assembling salvaged materials such as wooden planks, chopsticks and crates. For this exhibition, entitled"Nest in Liaigre", Tadashi Kawamata has created a work based on a hundred chairs salvaged from Emmaüs.

Hanging together from the gallery's beautiful façade, the chairs in this unusual construction invite us to take a look at our surroundings, prompting philosophical, social, economic and political questioning. Through this nest-like installation, in total contrast to the architecture, the artist also displays his obsession with birds' nests, symbols of happiness and peace.

Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?

Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?Paris : quel est cet empilement de chaises suspendu à un immeuble ?


For the curious, note that a hidden part of this nest of chairs can be discovered inside the building, where the rest of Tadashi Kawamata's exhibition also awaits you, on view until March 25, 2024. On the other hand, the installation of chairs can be seen on the façade until December 12, 2023.

Practical information

Dates and Opening Time
From October 23th, 2023 to December 12th, 2023

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    Location

    77 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
    75008 Paris 8

    Official website
    www.studioliaigre.com

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