True Design M’Afrique at Ensemble, CONI’s project for Casa Italia Paris 2024

Moroso is the protagonist at Casa Italia Paris 2024, the project that will transform Le Pré Catelan, a historic building immersed in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne, from 26 July to 11 August. The project is part of Ensemble, a carefully curated selection of prominent contemporary Italian brands and artists.

The value of brotherhood is at the heart of the CONI’s concept, in which the works of 19 artists and 28 designers tell a story of Made in Italy and the Italian passion for art and design. Moroso has shaped the outdoor space of Casa Italia Paris 2024 with its M’Afrique seating range, integrating African colours and vibrancy in a spectacular journey in which nature blends with the art and architecture of the grand building in the Napoleon III style. The M’Afrique collection is the work of international designers Tord Boontje, Marc Thorpe, Ron Arad and Sebastian Herkner, and is produced in Senegal in Abdou Salam Gaye’s Atelier M’Afrique.

Constructed in the mid-18th century, Le Pré Catelan was chosen as the venue of the celebratory dinner on 23 June, 1894, to mark the birth of the modern Olympic Games organised by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. This was the initial inspiration for Ensemble, the concept that underpins Casa Italia Paris 2024 — an homage to brotherhood and the spirit at the heart of the Olympic Games.

The M’Afrique Collection

The M’Afrique project started in 2009 with Patrizia Moroso’s connection to a land that is “a place rich in soul and emotion. Everything that comes from that place is vibrant and full of infinite beauty. When it comes to Africa, I am unable to remain guided by reason: it is a land I love unconditionally.” Entirely produced by hand, these chairs are made in Senegal at Abdou Salam Gaye’s Atelier M’Afrique, using a hand-weaving technique with plastic fibres traditionally used for making fishing nets.

Shadowy, design by Tord Boontje, 2009

The “Shadowy” collection is inspired by the beach chairs of 1920s northern Europe, encompassing a modern and functional reimagining of those forms with a focus on traditional African craftsmanship. The high back, armrests and seat end with a curved flourish that give the armchair the appearance of a throne. The back extends and curves around to resemble a canopy that doubles as a parasol. The patterns come from the interwoven plastic fibres, commonly used in Africa for the brightly coloured traditional fishing nets. These make this product particularly resistant to the effects of the sun, water and wear. The frame that supports the seat is made of hand-painted stainless steel.

Modou, design by Ron Arad, 2019.
The Modou Collection, designed by Ron Arad, consists of five pieces that includes a revised version of the iconic Big Easy chair, created by the Israeli-born designer at the start of his longstanding collaboration with Moroso. Modou is the name that Ron Arad chose for a cinematic collection that recalls a futuristic meteor, as a homage to the Dakar-based metalworker with whom he created the pieces. Far removed from the cliches of “ethnic” design, Modou is the journey of two metalworkers who blend seemingly distant worlds, emotions and experiences. The chairs are made of painted steel with an anti-rust finish and handwoven polyethylene fibres.

Banjooli, design by Sebastian Herkner, 2013.
The curved shape of the “ostrich in love” draws its inspiration from the typical mating dance of the East African ostrich. The outstretched wings become the silhouette of the chair, creating the prominent forms that were envisioned as a dynamic embrace. The weaving on the steel frame is created with bright fishing net fibres in a suggestive two-tone motif. Banjooli products are handmade in Senegal, like the other products in the collection. Each piece is unique, and available in customised colours and woven patterns.

Husk, design by Marc Thorpe, 2015.
Inspired by the fields of corn that dot the landscape of northern Italy and Friuli, Husk’s shape is inspired by the natural curves of the shell of the corn cob, creating a contemporary armchair that celebrates an unconventional comfort. The frame is painted steel with bright handwoven polyethylene fibres, as with all the pieces in the M’Afrique collection.