Open call n°2 | Re-enchanting Villa Medici: refurbishment of the guest rooms

➝ The French Academy in Roma opens the second call for projects for the refurbishment of the guest rooms of Villa Medici!

The French Academy in Roma – Villa Medici is joining forces with the Mobilier national, with the support of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, to promote contemporary creation and refurbish the guest rooms at Villa Medici.

Following an initial call for projects in the fall of 2022, the Academy is opening a second exceptional call for projects to redevelop several other rooms in the historic building.

Also supported by Banque Populaire Foundation, Maison Tréca and EDIT Napoli, this call for projects will bring in contemporary designers, architects and artists working in teams with craftsmen, in order to highlight their know-how and give a new identity to the rooms of Villa Medici.

This call is part of the ambitious refurbishment project “Re-enchanting Villa Medici“: chapter 1 devoted to the historic salons; chapter 2 devoted to the historic rooms; chapter 3 devoted to the guest rooms of the gateway.

Open call

CALENDAR :

Thursday, March 30 at 12:00: opening of the application platform for the second call
Tuesday, May 30 at 12:00 : closing of the application platform
Beginning of July 2023: examination of the applications and selection of the finalist teams
End of September 2023: final deliberation of the jury of the final projects
Autumn 2023: publication of the third call for proposals

SELECTION PANEL :

The selection panel is composed of Alberto Cavalli, executive director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship and general curator of Homo Faber Event, Domitilla Dardi, design historian and founder of EDIT Napoli, Hedwige Gronier, head of cultural patronage at the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, Hervé Lemoine, President of the Mobilier National, Christine Macel, Director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, India Mahdavi, architect, designer and scenographer, Isabelle de Ponfilly, President of the Board of Directors of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, and Sam Stourdzé, Director of the French Academy in Roma – Villa Medici.

APPLICATION FORM :

Applications must be submitted exclusively electronically, via the following dematerialized platform, between Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 12:00pm and Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 12:00pm:

IMPORTANT :
– One project leader per team must be designated. The project leader will be the contact person for the Académie de France in Rome – Villa Medici and will have to download the documents that make up the application from the platform.
– Applications must be submitted exclusively by electronic means, via the dematerialized platform between Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 12:00pm and Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 12:00pm. The platform will be automatically closed at 12:00 (CET), please make sure to finalize and submit your application before this time.
– It is imperative that the title of all the files that make up the application file begin with the surname of the project leader (e.g. for the applicant Mr. Smith: “Smith_portfolio.pdf”, “Smith_project.pdf”, etc.). The documents must be submitted in PDF format and the titles must not contain any accent or special sign (e.g. £. *, #, (),^…).
– The electronic weight of the dematerialized application file must not exceed 20 MB in total.
– Make sure you use browsers like Google Chrome.
– To validate your application, you must fill in all the required fields, read the rules and regulations and click on “Soumettre la candidature“. A confirmation of your application will be sent to you by email. If you do not receive it, please check your junk mail. The acknowledgement of receipt received by e-mail is proof of receipt.

COMPOSITION OF THE APPLICATION FORM :

The application for the second call for projects must be submitted online by May 30, 2023 at 12:00pm (noon).

The file, written in English or in French, is composed of the following elements:

Portfolio: the composition of the team, a detailed curriculum vitae of each team member, a presentation of major projects in which the team members have participated.
Presentation of the project: a descriptive document containing the general presentation of the project, the references used and graphic events (sketch or diagram, plan, and at least 2 renderings or 3D visuals).
Proof of professional activity: for each team member.
Proof of identity: for each member of the team.

The documents must be uploaded in PDF format on the platform.

If you have any questions, we invite you to contact the following address, we will do our best to answer: [email protected]

First call for projects

The first call for projects was open from September to November 2022. After a pre-selection and selection phase, the jury selected two winners whose names were revealed in March 2023.

The winners of the first call for projects are Studio GGSV / Paper Factory and Matthieu Lemarié for the Camera Fantasia project and Studio POOL / Atelier Veneer for the Studiolo project.

The rooms will be delivered during 2024.

About

About Bettencourt Schueller Foundation:
The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation is a family trust and has been recognised as a public interest organisation since its creation in 1987. It aims to “give wings to talent” in order to contribute to France’s success and influence.

To this end, it seeks out, selects, supports, guides and promotes men and women who are imagining tomorrow’s world today across three fields that make a tangible contribution to the municipal good: the life sciences, the arts and humanitarian aid.
In keeping with the spirit of philanthropy, the foundation works through prizes, donations, personalised support, communication and co-constructed initiatives.

Since its creation, the foundation has awarded 634 prizes and supported more than 1,000 projects submitted by talented individuals, teams, associations and organisations.

The Foundation has been involved in the arts and crafts sector for over 20 years. It was one of the first actors to value the contemporary dimension of these crafts through the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Intelligence of the Hand®. It identifies this expertise as an internationally important asset that needs to be promoted abroad. It has contributed to the recognition of arts and crafts as a practical training eligible for international residencies. In this context, it has sponsored the Villa Kujoyama since 2014, the Villa Albertine since 2021 and now also the Villa Medici.

About Mobilier National:
The Mobilier National has been supporting arts and crafts since the 17th century. Its mission is to ensure the conservation and restoration of its unique collections and to preserve and pass on exceptional expertise. A major heritage site, the institution is also a major stakeholder in contemporary creation and the promotion of French decorative arts.

The Mobilier National creates and restores tens of thousands of pieces of furniture and objects destined for the furnishing and decoration of public buildings in France and abroad. More than three hundred and forty men and women work daily to maintain, practise and promote the institution’s excellent techniques, in Paris and across the country. The Gobelins and Beauvais factories are dedicated to tapestry, the Savonnerie factory to carpets and the Puy- en-Velay and Alençon workshops to lace. The Atelier de Recherche et de Création (ARC–Research and Creation Workshop) promotes creation and contemporary design in France.

About Banque Populaire Foundation:
Since 1992, the Banque Populaire Foundation has been the national sponsorship instrument of the 14 “Banques Populaires” and their members. It is involved in the fields of music, disability and, more recently, arts and crafts to help talented, inventive and determined people to launch their life projects.

It is one of the oldest foundations in the financial sector and is the only one to support individuals by giving them financial means, as well as the reassurance of a network of contacts and long-term support.
Mindful of the quality of its commitment with the persons it sponsors, the Foundation has sought out well-known figures in each field to form panels of experts.

Listening, support and trust are the Foundation’s bedrock. Over 30 years, 943 projects have been supported.

About Tréca:
A subsidiary of the Adova Group, a French artisanal group specialising in bedding, Maison Tréca embodies the art of sleeping ‘à la française’ thanks to the legacy of master craftsmen whose unique expertise has been passed down since 1935.

With creations inspired by the greatest palaces and designed by internationally renowned designers (Quaglio Simonelli, Andreas Weber, Christian Lacroix, etc.), Tréca offers a tailor-made comfort experience.

All the collections are made from natural, rare and precious materials, refined in the workshops in Reichshoffen (Alsace) and Mer (Loir-et-Cher), ensuring an excellent sleep.

About EDIT Napoli :
EDIT Napoli is the international fair dedicated to authorial design and design authors, directed by Emilia Petruccelli and Domitilla Dardi.

The fair is firmly grounded in the notion of local realities, sustainability and quality over quantity, through production processes that combine craftsmanship with design for pieces that can be replicated.

The fifth edition will be held from 6 to 8 October 2023 at Archivio di Stato di Napoli and in some of the iconic sites of Neapolitan and Mediterranean culture.

Notices

Residency Programme Dedicated to Arts and Crafts:
The French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici has joined forces with the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation to establish a new residency programme for professionals working in the field of arts and crafts.

Villa Medici is proposing an annual one-month residency programme for 4 artisans and/or designers who receive the Liliane Bettencourt Intelligence of the Hand prize between now and the end of 2023.

Through this research, creation and experimentation residency programme for people working in the fields of arts and crafts and design, Villa Medici seeks to extend access to its residencies to artisans and designers in a working environment that encourages emulation between artistic disciplines.

➝ Learn more

Partner of the project Re-enchanting Villa Medici:

With the support of :