PARIS – As increased pressure from e-com-
merce forces retailers across all sectors to
emphasize the experiential appeal of bricks-
and-mortar stores, consumer expectations
for in-store experiences rise as well. To
meet these expectations, stores are forging a
stronger link between culture and commerce
by marrying commercial imperative with
cultural relevance. In doing so, they devote
their resources – and floor space – to
exhibitions and events that function as foot-
traffic drivers. A prime example appeared
at Galerie des Galeries, a cultural space on
the first floor of Galeries Lafayette. For the
holiday season, the Parisian departmentstore asked Studio GGSV to come up with a
contemporary fairy-tale-themed exhibition
for the space. Responding to the call, the
French duo fused the physical and the digital
in a multisensory installation that appealed
to both children and adults.
For Demain, le vaisseau chimère
(Tomorrow, the chimerical vessel), Gaëlle
Gabillet and Stéphane Villard produced a
metamorphic sci-fi mound of garish rocks,
psychedelic plants and inflatable objects
printed with images of plastic waste that
alluded to an ecological dystopia. Small
doors connecting Demain’s rooms required
adults to bend over as they passed through.»A virtual fountain in the main space
appealed to young visitors, who ‘tried to
catch the changing forms as if it were a
game’, says Studio GGSV’s Stéphane Villard.
SHOWGaleries Lafayette adds
culture to commerce
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