At a glance
From chrome-plated steel to organic bamboo, this retrospective traces Perriand’s pursuit of a functional, human-centric modernism set against the Mediterranean architecture of the Miró Foundation.
Why go
This first major Spanish retrospective highlights Perriand’s independent voice and her lifelong friendship with architect Josep Lluís Sert. High-fidelity reconstructions of her radical 1920s interiors offer a rare physical encounter with the foundations of modern living.
You'll see
Tubular steel furniture prototypes · Large-scale photomontages · 1929 interior reconstructions · Bamboo furniture designs · Personal archival photography
Pace of visit
A collection of dense archival documents and large-scale reconstructions requires a steady pace to fully appreciate the technical and social context.
Don't miss
The reconstruction of the 1929 Interior Equipment of a Dwelling, a manifesto of modern domestic space created with Le Corbusier.
Artlovers Tip
Look closely at the photographic montages; they reveal how Perriand used photography not just as art, but as a way to visually 'open' small apartment walls to the outside world.
Inside the exhibition
Meet the artist
Description
Charlotte Perriand. Free to Rethink the World at the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, Spain, examines the prolific career of the French architect and designer who helped shape the modern interior. The exhibition centers on her holistic approach to living, where furniture, architecture, and the natural environment converge. It marks the first major retrospective dedicated to Perriand in Spain, coinciding with the city's role as the 2026 World Capital of Architecture.
The presentation brings together major loans from the Charlotte Perriand Archives, covering her work from 1927 until 1955. Visitors encounter functional prototypes, modular storage systems, and the iconic tubular steel furniture developed in collaboration with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. The show also highlights her later shift toward organic forms, featuring bamboo pieces inspired by her travels in Japan and Vietnam, alongside her intimate photographic studies of natural objects like roots and stones.
By placing her work within Josep Lluís Sert’s Mediterranean building, the exhibition emphasizes a long-standing intellectual exchange between the two creators. It provides a new reading of Perriand not just as a collaborator, but as an independent force who integrated art and photography into domestic spaces. The show illustrates how she successfully transitioned from the industrial machine age toward a poetic, environmentally conscious aesthetic that remains influential today.
Worth travelling for?
A significant visit for design enthusiasts and anyone curious about the woman who brought nature and play to the rigid lines of early modernism.
Experience as an Artlover
The Fundació Joan Miró is located on Montjuïc hill; weekend tickets should be booked online in advance to avoid queues. The museum typically offers guided tours in Spanish and Catalan on Sunday afternoons.
Charlotte Perriand. Free to Rethink the World
Artlovers relevance
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