A Dialogue Between Traditional Art and Contemporary Creation

To mark the 2026 Asian Spring, Christie’s Paris invited Ateliers Berger to participate in a unique dialogue between artistic heritage and contemporary creation. An encounter in which the exhibition design becomes a sensory language, capable of bringing the works to life beyond their mere presentation.

When Decorative Craftsmanship Meets Art History 

For this exhibition, Ateliers Berger created custom-designed displays to complement the major works in the sale. Each display was conceived as a discreet presence, intended to draw the viewer’s gaze and highlight the power of the pieces on display.

The first installation, Sfuma, created behind the portrait of the Karmapa, draws on materials with raw, deep tones. Its textured style engages with the spiritual dimension of the work, seeking a balance between silence, light, and contemplation.

©Christie's Images Ltd 2026

The second installation accompanies one of the most famous images in art history : Katsushika Hokusai’s the Great Wave off Kanagawa. Inspired by the landscapes of Sagami and the natural movements of water, this creation develops a more ethereal aesthetic, where delicate textures and mineral-like nuances evoke the spirit of the landscape. The material thus becomes a sensory extension of the artwork, a contemporary resonance of its energy.

©Christie's Images Ltd 2026

This approach reflects the philosophy of Ateliers Berger : viewing each surface as a living space, capable of interacting with light, space, and emotions. For them, textures, pigments, and artisanal techniques are never merely decorative; they contribute to an overall experience in which the material tells a story.

Finally, the Quiet-Landscape, displayed behind the works of the Old Masters, establishes a subtle connection between landscape, material, and memory. Its soft hues, horizontal movements, and silent depth create a serene setting that complements the works. The subtle movements etched into the surface evoke the traces of time, the contours of a landscape, or the undulations of a distant vista, allowing the artworks to take center stage.

©Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Movement as a unifying theme

This research is also reflected in the “Flow” collection by Martin Berger, the workshops’ artistic director, which is being presented as part of the exhibition. At the heart of this series lies a fascination with movement: the flow, the wake, the fleeting energy of a single moment. The lines seem to unfold freely across the surface.

As part of this collaboration with Christie's, the works from the Flow collection naturally found their place alongside the installations created for the exhibition. Between the suspended power of Hokusai’s *The Great Wave*, the meditative presence of the Karmapa, and the contemporary vibes of Martin Berger’s creations, a common thread emerges: that of movement. The movement of water, the movement of light, the movement of gesture.

©Christie's Images Ltd 2026

This encounter between historic masterpieces and a contemporary creation centered on materials embodies the vision of Ateliers Berger: to create settings that do more than simply complement the works they actively contribute to the emotions they evoke.

An approach summed up by their motto: Light. Movement. Emotion.