Disco is back in a big way—immersive, well-documented, and infectiously hedonistic. We’re talking the DISCO — I’m Coming Out exhibition which officially opens today at Philharmonie de Paris, the highly futuristic music venue by Jean Nouvel on the outskirts of the French capital. Mind you, the exhibition coincides with the latter’s tenth anniversary, in addition to the 30th anniversary of Cité de la Musique, another renowned and design-led concert hall it has merged with a while ago. First emerging in New York City in the 1970s, disco soon caught on elsewhere, becoming a massive global phenomenon. Engendered in black culture stateside, the music genre emerged not only at the crossroads of different civil rights struggles, echoing the fight of the African-American and LGBTQ+ communities, and feminist movements, but also aligns with technological innovations.
The invention of the mix, the remix and the maxi 45 rpm, the development of lighting and sound amplification techniques have all put a stamp on the world of music. Through links of disco with fashion, cinema, art and popular culture, disco music is emblematic of the emergence of a global society of leisure and appearance, celebrating, at the end of a decade of social and political struggles, the loosening of morals and the liberation of bodies. As said, DISCO — I’m Coming Out is an immersive experience as it comes with an original soundtrack from none other than DJ Dimitri From Paris with playlists and vintage recordings to bring back to life the evenings legendary New York City night haunts Paradise Garage and The Saint.
Given the involvement of Paris-based design studio GGSV in furniture design inspired by the world of nightclubs of the 1970s and 1980s for Italian house Gufram, they’ve designed an alluring scenography, including a central space lined with neon lights and projections, decorated with a huge printed carpet which serves as both a catwalk and a dance space. Elsewhere, there’s an open space bordered by open ‘houses’ which display the show’s many treasures, including an abundance of portraits of both iconic faces and unknown party peeps from New York City‘s 1970s disco scene. Additionally, a selection of objects highlights the instruments and material culture of the disco years: the aforementioned Gufram furniture, vintage light projectors intended for discos, stage costumes, evening dresses and accessories, broadcasting and recording equipment (on through Aug 17). © superfuture
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