Rinck x The Guild of Saint Luke a Face-to-Face Dialogue

The story began with a call from Galerie Vauclair informing Rinck about the discovery of a rare ensemble of 1930s Art Deco furniture attributed to Eugène Rinck, the third generation to head the company founded in 1841. This fascinating furniture find engendered an enthralling investigation carried out by the Rinck staff, all eager to uncover the origin and history of these pieces that had been forgotten for decades.

One thing led to another and this discovery ultimately brought about another uncommon undertaking: the restoration of the original pieces in the Rinck workshops, followed by contemporary interpretations of these pieces that were true to the original proportions and lines, but allowing new directions to be taken in materials.

The objective became clear once Valentin Goux presented this ensemble to John Whelan: It was not a question of transformation, but of reinterpretation, and this shared intention gave birth to the Rinck x GSL – E. Rinck collection.

The lines and balance were preserved, but the materials changed. In the 1930s, walnut burl and subtly shimmering nickel captured the light, while the new interpretations reached for more radical contrast, using black-stained bird’s-eye maple, brushed steel, and deep lacquers.

When in a face-to-face arrangement, the restored original pieces and their contemporary reflections generate a kind of measured tension between the two expressions of the same design, separated by esthetics and eras.

The exhibition’s disposition at Daumesnil accentuates this contrast. The viewer’s gaze moves from one era to another, from one material to another, reveling in both the continuity of the design and the novelty of the interpretation: John Whelan sought not to create rupture, but to generate resonance. His work showcases the soundless power of the original lines while imbuing them with a more introspective vibration that possesses a drama of its own.

This exciting chapter, with its carte blanche spirit, reveals the breadth and depth of the dialogue between two creative cultures, between Paris and London, between traditional artisanry and contemporary flair.

The collection, with its joint identity of RINCK x GSL – E. Rinck, bridges the span of time between 1931 and today. It illustrates a vision of heritage, seeing it as a material that is alive and thriving, something that can be explored, challenged, extended, and reinvented without ever becoming static.

Exhibited as part of Maison & Objet in the City, this story of contrast, an ensemble capturing Parisian perspectives, is worthy of contemplation outside the context of the event, where heritage is revealed to be much more than memory: It is shown to be a constantly evolving language.