Maison&Objet September 2024: Terra Cosmos, from the cosmos to the earth, from the earth to the cosmos

Following on from Tech Eden, which focused on the invigorating alliance between technology and nature, Maison&Objet and creative strategy consultancy Peclers Paris continue, in september, their optimistic, resilient and stimulating exploration with a new theme: Terra Cosmos. It deciphers these new desires and expectations of consumers in search of total experiences. It’s a cosmic vision of the future, but one that’s firmly rooted in the reality of a trade show – which is celebrating its 30th anniversary – resolutely focused on novelty, creativity and innovation.

The prospect of space travel is now a real possibility, and technological advances that have been projected in futuristic fiction herald profound changes in our way of life. Fifty-five years after man’s first steps on the moon, new scientific successes are rekindling our fascination and reactivating an imaginary world linked to the cosmos and synonymous with a promising future. The new materials of the spaces are brutalist or sophisticated, iridescent or transparent, and evoke the mineral surface of stars as much as celestial and stellar expanses. With Terra Cosmos, creation crystallizes in the intensity of materials, reflecting the formal explorations of the Objects of Common Interest designers and their experimental way of working with both metal and glass. For a brand like Lexon, the new frontiers go beyond technology. They include aspects such as sustainability, well-being and diversity, where opportunities for innovation are numerous and crucial to meeting the challenges of today’s world. In the food services and hotel industries, experts go beyond a formal universe. Whether immersive discoveries or extreme experiences, the aim is no longer simply to mobilize the senses, but to amplify or destabilize them, using both technology and marvelous storytelling. It’s an approach that Danish chef Rasmus Munk, who redefines himself as an “alchemist”, is proud of. His holistic menu is enjoyed in the immersive setting of his Copenhagen restaurant, where he takes guests on a journey from the depths of the sea up to the northern lights. To set foot in the Hotel El Cosmico, in a deserted Texan landscape, is an experience on the border between the cosmic and the terrestrial. This luxury campsite will soon be equipped with 3D-printed dwellings, enabling guests to escape the pressures of everyday life, reconnect with their senses and observe the celestial vault.
Moreover, from the Acne Studios boutique to the Moncler pop-up store in Tokyo, in retail, cosmic references are even more accomplished when sleek, futuristic settings meet a digital, connected shopping experiences. Avant-garde aesthetics pave the way for a new form of consumerism. Spaces seem to come straight out of the metaverse, inspired by architectural and virtual creations such as those by artist Hugo Fournier. Environments and immaterial objects already animate the spaces designed by Harry Nuriev with Crosby Studios. Minerality is often complemented by chrome, transparency and glass, giving versatility to clean lines. Beyond a forward-looking vision, the Terra Cosmos theme will be embodied at the show. Visitors will be able to experience the theme in three concrete ways: product curation, events and the visitor route. “Through the eyes of our curators, François Delclaux and Elizabeth Leriche, we’re offering visitors a concrete and sharpened interpretation of the theme”, says Mélanie Leroy, Managing Director of Maison&Objet. They’ll be able to give their own interpretation of Terra Cosmos and create surprises in the What’s New? In Retail space and What’s New? In Decor space, with a wide range of products sourced from exhibitors and integrated into inspiring displays. The What’s New? In Hospitality space will be entirely hosted by the next Designer of the Year, Lionel Jadot, who will present his philosophy of interior design. This time, the focus is on the design of a hospitality space.
In the sectors: Well-being Experience, What’s New? In Hospitality and The Talks, Maison&Objet combines the prospective and the experiential with the useful. It relies on one of the levers that makes it unique, namely a large international community of recognized experts in the decoration and design industries, to share and lead exchanges that are as relevant as they are instructive. The theme will be tested, discussed and enriched through an immersive scenography of each space, masterclasses with key opinion leaders, coaching adapted to each business, and round tables.
Mélanie Leroy confides: “Our primary mission is to decipher and highlight the market trends that will make our customers successful in the future. In concrete terms, this means highlighting new and buoyant markets, and curating brands and products, as well as colors, materials, patterns and inspiration, through experiential and useful events. In a word, to provide concrete solutions around a triptych of key issues: innovation, creativity and eco-responsibility. With Terra Cosmos, we’re taking another angle on the re-enchantment of everyday life through the cosmos, the earth and even our relationship with the beyond. Product curation will highlight sectors or sub-sectors that are currently buoyant and represent a growing market trend. We’re talking about the whole world of Well-being, but also magic and esotericism. Lithotherapy and astrology are real market trends”.
In the 60s, the Space Age movement found its inspiration in the conquest of space and nuclear imagery. Its heritage is still expressed at this fair, through objects with organic shapes and pop colors. Fisura’s lava lamps are the most meaningful example.