le19M Chanel Arrives at the Museum of Art Pudong Shanghai. Story by Kate Granger, Editor of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: CHANEL.
The Geography of Craft: le19M Chanel Arrives at the Museum of Art Pudong
In September 2026, the dialogue between Parisian heritage and Chinese contemporary art takes a definitive step forward. le19M, the physical manifestation of Chanel’s commitment to the Métiers d’art, will inaugurate its third international chapter at the Museum of Art Pudong (MAP) in Shanghai. Running from September 25 to November 15, the exhibition serves as a technical and cultural bridge, occupying the entirety of the museum’s third floor.
Founded by Chanel in 2021, le19M serves as the nerve center for eleven Maisons d’art, housing over 700 artisans whose specialized knowledge sustains the architecture of fashion and interior design. The Shanghai exhibition, titled la Galerie du 19M Shanghai, is not a mere showcase of finished garments but an immersion into the precision of the gesture.
A Tripartite Exploration of Savoir-Faire
The exhibition is structured as an immersive journey, curated to engage a diverse audience—from industry scholars to the “simply curious”—through three distinct lenses:
- The Technical Genesis: An introduction to the specific tools and manual techniques of the resident houses, highlighting the intersection of tradition and modern innovation.
- The Collective Dialogue: A collaboration between French and Chinese creative scenes. This section features work from artists and artisans under the guidance of an editorial committee comprising Gong Yan (Power Station of Art), Lin Tianmiao, Zhang Lei (PINWU Design Studio), and Christelle Kocher (Maison Lemarié and Atelier Lognon).
- The Lesage Centenary: A retrospective celebrating 100 years of the Maison Lesage. This portion of the exhibition, previously seen in Paris, traces the house’s evolution from its 1924 origins to the avant-garde embroideries and tweeds currently being developed for Chanel.
The Vision of Transmission
Central to the initiative is the philosophy of accessibility. Beyond the static displays, the program includes a series of conferences and participatory workshops designed to demystify the artisan’s craft. It positions the Métiers d’art not as a relic of the past, but as a living, universal language capable of evolving within the high-contrast creative landscape of Shanghai.
Bruno Pavlovsky, President of le19M, emphasizes the global necessity of this project:
“With this new international project, the Galerie du 19M deploys the values of the Maisons d’art — passion, transmission, and generosity — beyond its Parisian walls. Through a creative dialogue designed for all audiences, the project offers a sensitive discovery of the Métiers d’art, between heritage, contemporary gestures, and participatory experiences, affirming savoir-faire as a universal creative language.”
Exhibition Details
- Venue: Museum of Art Pudong (MAP), Shanghai
- Dates: September 25 – November 15, 2026
- Focus: A celebration of the “Living Heritage” shared between the excellence of French craftsmanship and the dynamic contemporary artisan landscape of China.
