Pushing boundaries and innovations with Les Manufactures nationales: conversation at Villa Haw Par
Fondation de France Asia’s mission is to bring greater visibility in Hong Kong and Asia to its beneficiary organisations, through meaningful cultural and institutional collaborations that create positive change across borders.
Within this spirit of exchange and connection, the Fondation co-organised with Les Manufactures nationales and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau an event that explored a central question: what does it mean for tradition to remain relevant today?
Titled “A living dialogue of traditions and know-how”, the conversation was hosted on 29 April 2026 at Villa Haw Par, a revitalised grade-1 1930’s mansion in Tai Hang, by the Fondation’s Executive Director Julien-Loïc Garin, in presence of the Deputy Consul General of France Benjamin Hubin, and gathered around 60 guests.
For over three centuries, institutions such as the Gobelins and Beauvais workshops—established under Louis XIV—alongside Sèvres – Manufacture et Musée nationaux, have helped define the language of decorative arts, with creations that continue to travel across cultures and generations.
Today, within Les Manufactures nationales, which includes the Mobilier National together with the cluster of the national manufactures, this heritage is not preserved as something static, but actively reinterpreted through ongoing exchange between history and contemporary practice. The institution is unique in the world, preserving centuries-old traditions applied to contemporary creations.
The conversation explored how these historic ateliers continue to evolve—through innovation, collaboration, and new creative dialogues.
The conversation was led by Loïc Turpin, Director of Development and Communications and Muriel Austerlitz, Deputy Director at Les Manufactures nationales, offering insight into how a centuries-old institution continues to expand its creative and technical horizons. The discussion highlighted emblematic works and restorations, and the particular commission of 7 spectacular tapestries imagined by contemporary artists Miquel Barceló and Michael Armitage for Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, reflecting a continuously evolving practice of savoir-faire.
The evening concluded with a reception, providing a valuable moment for exchange among guests from diverse backgrounds.
