Byzance Home

Adrian K. Sanders writing for I V Y paris

Paris doesn't have the young fervor of Berlin, nor the cut-throat pace of London and New York but it does have a very distinct appreciation for art that is proving to have real staying power in spite of the current market Armageddon.

Parisians love beautiful things. The tradition of decorative arts seen in Rococo, Art Nouveau and Modernist architecture and the fierce pride of fashion and design boutiques throughout the city are testaments to all things lovely.

Art as a decorative object doesn't carry as much of the stigma here in Paris as in other cities. The pure aesthetic enjoyment of an art piece holds an important place in the mind's eye of the Paris citizen.

Collectible value, artistic integrity and practical function appeal to a conservative and relatively small market that still has strong purchase power and we may see more conversion happening between design and contemporary art if this trend develops.

The possibility of stepping away from the great white wall and onto the stage of a home or office is an exciting frontier, not just for decorative art, but for everything else as well.A boutique store like Byzance Home offers a compelling example of the collision between art and design that makes the case for decorative art, and perhaps other forms as well.

Located on rue de Turenne just a few steps from rue de Bretagne, Byzance Home is a large design and home furnishing boutique without the pretentious air of similar stores. At the same time it is tastefully outfitted, neither feeling too IKEA or too precious.

Byzance Home is currently displaying Belgian artist Serge Van de Put's recycled tire sculptures placed throughout the boutique (featured above). Van de Put's rubber animal sculptures are brilliantly executed with an emphasis on distributed weight and balance. Though some of the works are quite large, they work very well with the furnishings. Fun and eco-green as they may be, they lean more towards artisanale as opposed to contemporary, which is only a slight if you're into that sort of thing.

And while many artists are hesitant to display their chefs d'oeuvres anywhere except a gallery, Van de Put is more than happy to show his work at Byzance Home. "Regardless of where I show my work, people will have their opinions about it," said Van de Put, who has had shows in Antwerp and the south of France, "I think that if someone sees one of my pieces here and feels that it could be a nice addition to their home, I'm all for it."

Byzance Home
129 rue de Turenne
Paris 75003

Tél : 01 42 77 89 42

M° Filles-du-Calvaire
Open Tuesdays - Saturdays from 11 h to 19 h, Sundays 13 h to 19 h