The imaginary world of M/M (Paris)

“I have always admired them; they are brilliant”– Miuccia PradaArtists who make history are those who somehow are able to push the boundaries of their medium, and this is what M/M (Paris) have been doing for almost 30 years, defying all forms of categorisation and blurring the lines between graphic design and art. Michaël Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak founded the studio in 1992, after they met at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, understading the potential of working as a duo at once.Over the years they have collaborated, both in France and abroad, with fashion designers and brands (such as as Alexander McQueen, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Miuccia Prada), musicians (Björk, Madonna and Kanye West among others), photographers, journalists, writers, and many other figures spanning an impressive variety of artistic and cultural fields. The creations born from these collaborations, heterogeneous in their nature and disparate in their formats, are nevertheless seen as a whole: that’s how M/M (Paris) have been building an ever-expanding imaginary world, sparkling right next to reality.Looking back at the beginning of their career, the world has now undergone many changes and there are many new challenges to face. However, M/M (Paris) have never backed down and their most recent projects prove it. This is precisely the heart of M to M of M/M (Paris) – Volume II, published by Thames & Hudson eight years after Volume I: this 456-page book completes the monographic study of the art and design duo, deepening it through a new selection of projects created over the last three decades and a set of interviews with personalities from the creative world. Leafing through it is like opening a pandora box, full of wonders and treasures, food that nourishes eyes and mind. But as always their work goes beyond the dimension of the book and that is why, on this occasion, a double exhibition entitled From one M/Museum to another is taking place at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Musée d’Orsay. Joining forces for the first time, the two institutions invited M/M (Paris) to take over their galleries and insert their work within their permanent collections.In parallel, M/Made in Shanghai, the first retrospective exhibition of M/M (Paris) in China, is presented at the Power Station of Art, reinterpreting their works on the scale of the Asian megalopolis.We talked with Michaël and Mathias to learn more about their practice and the…

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Source: vogue.it