French architect, designer Jean Prouve's modernism on view at Seoul Auction

Seoul Auction, a major auction house in South Korea, has opened an exhibition highlighting modernist design led by prominent 20th-century architects and designers, with a particular focus on the works of French architect and designer Jean Prouve.

Prouve is celebrated as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, renowned for developing cutting-edge technology and modular systems for mass production during the postwar modernist era.

His exhibition, titled “Jean Prouve 6x6,” is held at Seoul Auction’s headquarters in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17, in collaboration with AndersonC, a furniture gallery based in Seoul.

One highlight is “Demountable House,” created by Prouve in the aftermath of World War II to provide housing for displaced individuals. According to the auction house, only a few of the approximately 400 demountable houses produced at the time still exist, and the one on display is remarkably well-preserved, making it a rare example.

A quote from Prouve displayed at the exhibition encapsulates his design philosophy: “There is no difference between building a piece of furniture and a building.” This statement reflects his innovative approach to blending architecture and engineering.

The exhibition also features work by other renowned architects and designers who collaborated with or were contemporaries of Prouve, including Swiss-French architect and designer Le Corbusier, French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand, Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret, and American woodworking designer George Nakashima.

“Jean Prouve combines the soul of an engineer with that of an architect,” Le Corbusier said of Prouve, a quote prominently displayed at the exhibition.

Among the showcased pieces is “Wardrobe / Room Divider,” a collaborative work by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, created around 1949.