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Textiles occupy a unique position in the history of design, testifying to the aesthetic and technical upheaval of the 20th century while fuelling the most radical forms of experimentation. Though long restricted to the decorative world, textiles have shaped interiors, structured spaces and inspired new ways of thinking about objects.

The exhibition opens with pioneering figures in textiles from the modern avant-garde movements, such as Sonia Delaunay, Élise Djo-Bourgeois, Eileen Gray and Hélène Henry, who renewed the use of textiles in a dialogue with furniture and architecture.

In the 1960s, the arrival of synthetic fibres and industrial development led to stretchy, supple and durable fabrics that hugged the lines of the body and offered new freedom, as seen in the work of Pierre Paulin and Olivier Mourgue. Jersey and other stretch fabrics became tools for innovation and vectors for technical and aesthetic shifts.
In the second half of the century, creators like Simon Prouvé became known for their innovative approach, exploring the connection between art, architecture and textiles. The exhibition explores the relationship between design objects and textiles, which Gaetano Pesce revolutionised with his use of hybrid processes and materials, and extends into anthropological territories, as demonstrated by the Campana studio. During the 1990s, as part of an experimental approach rooted in the radical ethos of Droog Design, other designers such as Marcel Wanders reimagined textiles, challenging the boundaries between craftsmanship and technology. Hella Jongerius developed an experimental approach to weaving, combining research and digital manufacturing. Other female creators, such as Jeanne Vicérial, Gjertrud Hals and Chloé Bensahel, also explored links between textiles and technology.
In the 2000s, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec innovated using textiles with acoustic qualities, which also act as flexible space dividers. This exploration continued with other materials, such as wire mesh, which was used by Ron Arad, Dominique Perrault and Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost, Vincent Poujardieu and the Muller Van Severen duo. Here, mesh is an architectural and sculptural language in its own right. Today, designers like Pauline Esparon and Jeanne Goutelle explore the potential of natural, recycled and regenerated fibres, in an approach based on sustainability, circular systems and the relationship between technology and ecology.

An exhibition co-organised in partnership with Métropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée, Centre Pompidou, Manufactures Nationales, Sèvres & Mobilier National, Centre National des Arts Plastiques and Musée des Arts Décoratifs. 
Catalogue co-published by Éditions du Centre Pompidou and Hôtel des Arts TPM.