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Designers Cédric Breisacher and Marion Gouez exhibit at the JAD

By traveling across the entirety of Sweden, we were able to embrace the landscapes and fuel our imagination.

Laureates of the MIRA programme (Mobilité Internationale de Recherche Artistique) by the Institut français, designers Cédric Breisacher and Marion Gouez completed a six-week residency in Sweden, exploring local craftsmanship. While their work is featured in the exhibition Chronicles of creation, behind the scenes at JAD until February 16, 2025, they reveal the behind-the-scenes details of this project and their collaboration. 

Updated on 28/01/2025

5 min

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Cédric Breisacher et Marion Gouez
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Cédric Breisacher et Marion Gouez © DR

How did your respective journeys unfold? What was the turning point or motivation that led you to become designers? 

Marion Gouez: When I was little, I wanted to be a fashion designer, but during a visit to the Elsa Schiaparelli exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 2004, I realized I was more drawn to craftsmanship than the shape of clothing itself. I studied design at the École Boulle and fashion styling at LISAA. Through experiences, particularly working in a ready-to-wear company, I realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. That’s when I decided to pursue artistic residencies in Iceland and Greenland. During the COVID period, I took time to reflect, turning toward artisanal crafts and incorporating techniques like embroidery and feather art into my practice. 

Cédric Breisacher: I first heard about the profession at age ten, when a classmate mentioned he wanted to become a designer and draw toothbrushes. That idea stuck with me. By middle school, I chose to pursue applied and visual arts. After earning a diploma in applied arts, I specialized in product design at ISD Rubika in Valenciennes, studying industrial design. I quickly realized I didn’t want to design mass-produced objects—I wanted to create ecological designs that wouldn’t harm the planet. I focused my thesis on local production and opened my workshop after graduating in 2015, crafting solid wood furniture with a short production cycle. In 2021, I continued this process with an additional year at ENSCI, where I developed Agglomera, a project aimed at repurposing wood shavings and creating a circular workshop to minimize the environmental impact of my creations. 

 

How did your collaboration come about? 

Cédric Breisacher: It started quickly, and we immediately knew we wanted to collaborate. During an Arts Décoratifs exhibition on the 1980s, we came up with the idea of combining patterns with furniture to play with perception. We began by walking in the forest, gathering bark, lichens, and leaves. When we examined the bark closely, we saw moss, textures, patterns, and colors, which made us wonder how to translate this mix of motifs and forms onto paper. 

Marion Gouez: Patterns are at the heart of my practice—I create patterns for luxury ready-to-wear, so this focus resonated deeply with me. Initially, it was a friendly connection before becoming a professional collaboration. We began by experimenting: I had a large roll of paper, and we unrolled it on the floor of Cédric’s workshop without knowing what we’d do. Seeing piles of wood shavings, we thought, “Why not try painting with them?” We also scraped paint and gradually refined the drawing, incorporating pastels and Chinese ink. The result was a highly detailed, textured drawing with a vegetal feel, without a beginning or end. Then we wondered how to translate this pattern into textiles and decided that jacquard weaving might be the perfect approach. 

The entire residency was shaped by our desires, and the journey took us to stay in residence with Anders and Ann-Marie, where we spent three weeks.

Laureates of the MIRA programme (Mobilité Internationale de Recherche Artistique) by the Institut français, you were supported for a mobility in Sweden last spring. Could you tell us about the Végétamorphe project, which guided your research? 

Cédric Breisacher: Our research unfolded along the journey itself. We received the grant just a few days before departing, and our only real objective was to travel by train to northern Sweden and visit as many national parks as possible. We planned everything day by day, which allowed us to extend our stay in a location if we found something particularly interesting to explore. That’s how, for instance, we discovered the Vandalorum Museum. The entire residency was shaped by our desires, and the journey led us to a stay with Anders and Ann-Marie, where we spent three weeks. 

Marion Gouez: We discovered the MIRA programme on the Institut français website. We spent 10 to 15 days traveling, three weeks in residence, and another 10 to 15 days traveling before returning to Paris. When we left, Végétamorphe was at a standstill—the creative energy and spontaneity we had at the start had more or less dissipated. We needed time and space to focus on the project, to visit, to work, or simply to let ourselves drift. It was fascinating to have these two parts: the mobility of train travel and the more grounded time at Ann-Marie’s residence. By crossing all of Sweden, we were able to absorb the landscapes and fuel our imagination. 

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Marion Gouez
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Marion Gouez
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For our collection and our project, this journey was an immense contribution.

What impact did this residency have on your projects? Did it help expand your practice or create other opportunities for collaboration?

Marion Gouez: For the project, it was a pivotal step because we returned with sketchbooks full of ideas. Cédric was also able to work on 3D designs for furniture, and upon returning, to prepare for this exhibition (Chroniques de la création au JAD), we created a chair entirely out of bent wood. This technique is something we observed extensively during our stay: all the museums there have similar chairs made with bent wood. For our collection and project, this journey was an immense contribution—it allowed us to redefine it, to know how to design new elements, how to approach the work, and what methodology to use. 

Cédric Breisacher: While there, we wrote a Végétamorphe manifesto, which has been incredibly helpful in defining what belongs in the project and what doesn’t. We noticed that this project always starts with a walk in the forest—it’s truly its essence. Every time we left a national park, we came out with four or five new ideas. The forest environment is undeniably our primary source of inspiration and shapes the imagination of the project. It also inspired me to embark on a residency in my family’s forest. I felt it was essential to make use of that land, as the forest is aging, and I finally took the leap this year. 

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Cédric Breisacher et Marion Gouez - chaise en bois cintré
© DR

Since October 23, your work has been showcased in the exhibition Chroniques de la création, dans les coulisses du JAD, running until February 16, 2025. What aspects of your practice are highlighted in this event? 

Cédric Breisacher: It’s a large table where everyone presents samples and finished products related to a project. We start with the first pattern and the mediums that allowed us to create it, progressing along the table to the chair we made after our residency in Sweden. Surrounding this chair are collected elements stored in small vials, preserved like an herbarium, our sketches, and the jacquard textile we created. It offers a comprehensive overview of the project. 

Marion Gouez: The textile is also used as the seat covering for the chair we made. 

 

What are your upcoming projects? Do you plan to continue your collaboration? 

Cédric Breisacher: The project will continue, with a presentation in Milan alongside the JAD. For now, we’re focused on this project, which plays a key role in our collaboration. 

Marion Gouez: It’s a project we envisioned as multi-medium, starting with the first piece, which was a fabric kimono. There’s so much potential because a walk in the forest can inspire countless things. I think there’s enough material to create, explore, and enjoy the process for a long time. In parallel, we’re planning to respond to the Mobilier National furniture call. 

The MIRA programme

MIRA - Mobilité Internationale de Recherche Artistique supports artists in their international research initiatives. 

Find out more 

L'institut français, LAB