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Christie’s Paris Presents ‘Supersonic Mediaeval’: Tilda Swinton’s Visionary Journey into the Art of Marianna Kennedy

Christie’s Paris Presents ‘Supersonic Mediaeval’: Tilda Swinton’s Visionary Journey into the Art of Marianna Kennedy March 7, 2025Art Events, Paris0 Comments

Christie’s Presents ‘Supersonic Mediaeval’: A Cinematic Journey into the World of Marianna Kennedy, Curated by Tilda Swinton

PARIS – When Art, Time, and Fantasy Collide

Some exhibitions invite you to observe. Others, like ‘Supersonic Mediaeval’, transport you to an entirely different dimension—one where art, design, and history melt into an otherworldly dreamscape. From May 5 to May 11, 2025, Christie’s Paris opens its doors to the extraordinary world of Marianna Kennedy, reimagined through the singular lens of Tilda Swinton.

More than an exhibition, ‘Supersonic Mediaeval’ is an experience – an odyssey through time, materials, and imagination, orchestrated by Swinton, whose artistic intuition lends an ethereal, almost cinematic energy to the showcase. Step inside, and you step into a world where the past is not a relic but a living, breathing source of reinvention.

Marianna Kennedy: A Modern Alchemist of Craft and Color

Kennedy, a visionary artist and designer, has spent decades transforming historical craftsmanship into contemporary magic. Since 2006, her Spitalfields workshop has been a cabinet of curiosities, where traditional gilding, sculpting, and lacquering techniques meet vibrant modernity. Her pieces – mirrors, bronze sculptures, lacquered objects, and delicately cast plasters—are not just objects; they are portals to another time, reinterpreted for today.

Her works first captivated Paris in 2011 at Galerie Chastel-Marechal, but before that, they were found in some of the world’s most exclusive private collections. Now, under Swinton’s curatorial vision, Kennedy’s world unfolds in an unapologetically bold, luminous, and enigmatic display of artistry.

Tilda Swinton’s Vision: The Art of Curating Atmosphere

With ‘Supersonic Mediaeval,’ Swinton doesn’t simply curate; she transforms space into narrative. The exhibition is staged like a theatrical set, reminiscent of an old-world atelier crossed with a futuristic dreamscape. The title itself – a phrase that feels both mythic and electric – is a nod to the fusion of time periods, disciplines, and the eternal dance between past and future.

“Marianna’s work lives in a rare place, a space where history whispers to the avant-garde, where precision meets fantasy, and where beauty is not static but constantly reborn,” Swinton muses.

Walking through the exhibition is like stepping into a film set waiting for its next scene, with pieces that shimmer between tradition and reinvention—mercurial resin, glasswork reminiscent of Murano masters, and gilded forms that echo Giacometti, Armand-Albert Rateau, and Jean Dunand.

Where Past and Future Collide

Beyond mere objects, Kennedy’s work – and Swinton’s interpretation of it – challenges our understanding of decorative arts as living, evolving, deeply personal expressions of time.

“We are not just looking at objects; we are stepping into a philosophy – one that believes in craft as a portal to reinvention, where heritage fuels the future, rather than anchoring it in nostalgia,” Kennedy explains.

Christie’s, A Stage for Contemporary Icons

Presented in collaboration with PLVR Zurich, ‘Supersonic Mediaeval’ is a testament to Christie’s ongoing commitment to contemporary creation. Following visionary exhibitions with Pierre Bonnefille, Mathieu Lehanneur, and Elie Top, this showcase solidifies the auction house as a patron of artistry beyond the canvas and the gavel.

As the doors open to this otherworldly universe, one thing is certain: this is not just an exhibition – it is a portal, a moment, a movement. And those who step inside may find themselves forever changed.

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