About exhibition
The solo exhibition “Beyond the Looking Glass” by Odile Decq (Laval, 1955), one of the most prominent French figures, offers insight into the work of this versatile architect and recipient of the prestigious Jane Drew Prize, whose distinctive, fluid creative expression bridges architecture, design, art, and urbanism.
Odile Decq's decades-long creative oeuvre is marked by consistent exploration of space through various media and scales—from urban landscapes to everyday objects. Whether designing a museum (MACRO, Rome), a restaurant interior (Phantom, Opera Garnier, Paris), or furniture (UNESCO Headquarters Furniture, Paris), Decq remains committed to challenging outdated norms and devising bold solutions that push the boundaries of the known, feasible, and acceptable.
The expressive and unconventional personality that distinguished her in the architectural scene of the 1970s is evident in her work through the use of dynamic forms, daring geometry, vibrant colors, and unexpected combinations of materials.
At the Belgrade exhibition, the audience will encounter a diverse array of media reflecting Odile Decq's creative universe. The display includes drawings of initial architectural visions, revealing her exceptional spatial understanding, while serigraphs and digital prints—featuring red as a carefully measured yet recognizable visual signature—offer insight into her graphic language and ability to abstract architectural concepts into powerful two-dimensional images. The installation “Horizon,” a central piece of the exhibition, transforms the gallery space into a suggestive field of perceptual exploration, creating an environment that "escapes towards the horizon." By employing transparent materials and reflective surfaces, Decq destabilizes the viewer's relationship with physical space, opening pathways to the unknown. The dimension of movement is introduced through the mobile sculpture “Spatial Lines,” while her design prowess and the impression of “thoughtful comfort” are embodied in a series of lighting fixtures titled “Candle Light.”
The exhibition concludes with a segment dedicated to the artist's most renowned projects—from museum designs (MACRO, FRAC, Tangshan), through three types of residential houses (Glass House, Fortin House, Saint Ange Residence), to her latest achievement, the residential building “Antares” in Barcelona. This example of a total work of art demonstrates how every element—from the overall spatial concept, through the façade and interior, to furniture, lighting, and details—is part of a unique artistic vision that the author fully conceives and shapes.
The exhibition will be on view from 21 June to 30 August 2025.
The exhibition is supported by the Embassy of France in Belgrade and the French Institute in Serbia.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Odile Decq (1955) is a French architect and urban planner. She started her architectural practice at the end of the 70s, in 1990 she already realized her first big project, the Banque Populaire de l'Ouest in Rennes, which brought her international recognition. Bold attitude, innovative and versatile personality of the artist are manifested in her work through the use of dynamic geometry, problematization of old conventions and a multidisciplinary approach that includes urban planning, architecture, design and art.
Among the artist's most significant projects are the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome (MACRO), the GL Events headquarters in Lyon, FRAC Bretagne in Rennes, the Archaeological Museum in Tangshan (China), as well as the "Cargo" startup incubator in Paris, the Le Twist office building in Paris, as well as a series of private residences that she treats as works of art. In 2022, she signed the authorship of the "Antares" residential building in Barcelona.
Since 2007, her work increasingly enters the domain of artistic creation, when research in the field of architecture balances with work in the field of art, in a way that distances her from architecture, but maintains a connection with the foundations of that discipline. One of the first design projects is a series of furniture, armchairs and tables for the UNESCO headquarters in Paris with the editor Domeau&Perese.
After creating the Oniris Gallery stand for Art Paris in 2010, seven years later she exhibited in their gallery and created photographs and mobile structures on that occasion. She exhibited at Design Miami Art Basel in 2019, when she designed a set of tables and lamps at the invitation of the Phillipe Gravier Gallery, and in October she created the same goodine for FIAC's "Pavillion Noir" at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. She is also the author of the "Green Pavillion" for Paris+Art Basel 2022 in the Tuileries Garden.
Decq has been teaching architecture for more than 25 years. In 2014, she founded the "Confluence Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture" in Paris, a school of architecture with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary and critical education. The school was accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2017.
She has been invited as a visiting professor at prestigious universities such as Bartlett (London), Kunstakademie (Vienna and Dusseldorf), SCI-Arc (Los Angeles, California), Columbia University (New York, New York), and recently at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (Cambridge, Massachusetts).
She is the winner of numerous awards, including the "Golden Lion" at the Venice Biennale in 1996, the "Emerging Voices" award in New York, the "ACADIA - Award for Excellence in Digital Practice" award, etc. She has several honorary titles and memberships in international architectural institutions. She was awarded France's highest honors, including the Legion of Honor (Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur), the Order of Arts and Letters (Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres) and the Order of Merit (Commandeur de l'Ordre du Mérite).
Odile Decq is a prominent figure who understands architecture not only as the construction of space, but as a means of expressing a cultural, political and aesthetic attitude. Her practice testifies to a combination of courage, innovation and commitment to art and education.
