CØR and VAUST bring Berlin’s roughness to Paris
The creative heart of Paris is home to a brutalist space designed by the Berlin-based studio VAUST dedicated to exploring collectible design and functional art
CØR Studio: a cultural hub for creatives in Paris
CØR is a female-led creative studio with a cutting-edge vision specialized in the creation of films, photos, and advertising campaigns for clients from different fields of creativity, with a particular focus on fashion and design. Founded in Berlin, the creative firm has experienced expansion in recent years with the opening of a new branch and gallery space in Paris, CØR Studio.
Thea Von Winning, CEO and Executive Producer, explains how the idea of expanding CØR’s scope of activity was born: «I always had this dream in my mind, to have a place where creatives meet, more than just a creative agency, a cultural hub. And I thought that if we would make it in a smart way, then people would automatically come to us. I came up with the concept in 2022, then last September we inaugurated this new venue».
The interior design project by the Berlin-based studio VAUST
When it came time to design the interiors of the new exhibition space in Rue du Petit Musc in Paris, Von Winning immediately thought of the Berlin-based studio VAUST. «We spent some time thinking about how to relate the two cities. I wanted to bring a bit of Berlin to Paris because I think it lacks some of its vibes. We wanted to create a perfect fusion of the two cities: rough, bold, disruptive, edgy, brutal, and risk-taking versus elegant, sophisticated, graceful, sleek, and attentive to details».
The result is a multifunctional space far from the modern concept of white cube; a simple but not banal room, which speaks for itself even without anything inside. «I like Brutalist design which appreciates the textural quality of materials, often leaving them in their rough, unrefined state to add character and authenticity to the space – claims Von Winning. In the realm of Brutalism, the idea is ‘less is more’ — not in terms of impact, but in the careful curation of decor. This intentional sparsity creates an atmosphere of bold simplicity, allowing each significant piece to resonate and breathe within the space. Brutalist interior design is often characterized by its simple, minimalist, and functional elements, and by the exploration of materials and textures. I love the idea of forgoing conventional ideals of beauty and perfection combined with rigorous, expressive design concepts which open possibilities for perfect imperfection. The result is a unique spatial experience in each room».
CØR Studio’s cultural program: art, fashion, and design
Throughout the year CØR Studio comes alive with various events and art shows. The realm of creativity they investigate through their exhibitions and cultural initiatives is collectible design, at the intersection of art and furniture design. Von Winning claims: «We have our own program – curated by friends or ourselves. For example, we just did a great show, Preservation, which was curated by Paul Hamline and Paige Silveria. When we meet curators whose work we appreciate, we like to design exhibitions together through co-working and collaborations. On top of this, we rent out our space, but only to people within the context of art, design, and fashion; for example, it has been used for magazines launches. We do a lot of shootings, private dinner events, and we try to be as selective as we can. We want CØR Studio to be talked about like a cultural place. Now that we have created a good network, we are planning to start the creative agency business in Paris as well, but with a focus on international clients».
Through its interdisciplinary approach, CØR Studio wants to foster the connection between art and fashion, reflecting the societal status quo, shifts and cultural landscapes of its era. These two worlds – which have recently been joined by that of design – draw inspiration from each other, pushing the edges and blurring the boundaries of creative production: «We try to give this crosspollination a space, by collaborating with and renting our venue to different creatives from the areas of art, design, and fashion – and ideally create connections and collaborations between them. We are super happy, if creatives, magazines, and brands choose our space to shoot, showcase and promote their work».
CØR Studio is in search of roughness in contemporary design
CØR Studio has launched a series of temporary exhibitions, showcasing collectible design objects and artists with an innovative and bold style and exceptional craftsmanship: «The objects do not have to be perfect, shiny, and smooth, but they must tell a story», states Von Winning. This is where raw and unrefined materials come into play: «I love the irregularity, the play of rawness and textures, items you can feel by just looking at them».
CØR embraces a philosophy which goes far beyond the world of design and manufacture but has to do with the volatility and unpredictability of life: «The idea that the rough should be celebrated as the refined is not a new concept. It is an ancient principle of Japanese aesthetic culture known as wabi-sabi, a philosophy of beauty which embraces the imperfect, the incomplete and the transitory. Wabi-sabi elevates simplicity and honesty in expression, those modest things in our world which express beauty as they age. Wabi-sabi is representative of craftsmanship which rejoices in the authentic». Recently, CØR and VAUST have once more joined forces to develop Culture First, the first edition of a new format aiming to build bridges not only between art and design, but also between the two creative capitals of Paris and Berlin on a regular basis.
Culture First: a cultural axis between the creative scenes of Paris and Berlin
Culture First, co-curated by CØR and VAUST took place both in Berlin (26 April – 16 May) and in Paris (24 May – 6 June). «We wanted to something together which reflected what we truly like, which is collectible design – explains Von Winning. Collectible design is a relatively brand-new art discipline which has been going on in Milan for a while now because of Design Week, as well as in Paris, where many design galleries are based, but not in Berlin. We decided to delve into this niche, which is the one we know best».
With this Franco-German bond, the idea is to create a format connecting the emerging collectible design scenes in both cities and to broaden their audiences. Once again, the differences between the two capitals – and even the clichés which revolve them – proved to be crucial assets in the development of the exhibition and this culturally relevant axis. «It was all very interesting and funny. We are people of the same age, same style, and interests, so when we did the two opening nights it seemed like we were a mirror of each other: same kind of crowd, but in a Berlin version and in a Paris version. In Paris people are always a little bit chicer, while Berlin people have this “I don’t give a damn” rough vibe. It is the same as in music, you find people who share this common interest and dimension across different cities, yet in very city the perception is slightly different».
Culture First wants to raise cultural awareness of the emerging collectible design scene
Culture First was born with the ambition to raise awareness of the emerging collectible design and functional art scene through the work of international artists and designers who are pushing boundaries with original research and innovative approaches. Among these are 6am Glass, Corpus Studio, Vénère (Eric Jandar) and VAUST themselves, all between twenty-five and forty years old. In choosing the designers, CØR and VAUST were driven by their tastes and instinct as they wanted the artists and their works to shine by moving away, at least for now, from the market dynamics of standard galleries. Minimalist works with a rough and industrial aesthetic, in which the use of raw, unrefined materials plays a crucial role. All topped by an informal curatorial approach which aims at creating dialogue and connections with and between the talents of the new generations.
CØR Studio’s creative direction and vision for the next few years are still in the planning phase; there are many ideas and projects on the table, but what is certain is that they want to give the discipline of collectible design a stable home: «We will continue putting our own curational focus on collectible design and functional art exhibitions as we just did with Culture First. The next one is already in the making».
Bio: CØR and CØR Studio
CØR is a female-led creative studio based in Paris and Berlin. It delivers state of the art films, photos and advertising campaigns, offers brilliant content creation and boundary-pushing media strategies, both off- and online. CØR gives fashion, art, architecture, and design a home and strive for diversity and sustainability.
CØR Studio is a unique concept space in the center of Paris that stimulates your creativity and senses that was renovated by Berlin-based interior design studio VAUST. CØR Studio offers an inspiring location with a contemporary minimalistic design for shootings, showrooms, exhibitions and private events and dinners on 170 sqm. CØR Studio reflects the enthusiasm of CØR creative agency for creation with an aesthetic sense guided by the harmony between sobriety, emotionality, sustainability, and minimalist design.
From 24 May – 6 June, COR Studio hosted Culture First featuring international designers: 6am Glass, Batten and Kamp, Carsten in der Elst, Corpus Studio, Frederik Fialin, Illya Goldman Gubin, Iva Pauzar, Joern Scheipers, Katharina Ruhm, LS Gomma, Obscure Objects, Pierre Castignola, sashaxsasha, Reidar Mester, Milena Kling, VAUST, Tino Seubert, Vénère (Eric Jandar).
Agnese Torres
