100 Years of Art Deco

As part of the 100th anniversary of Art Deco, this conference explores the movement through a transatlantic perspective, examining the dialogue between Paris and New York during the early decades of the twentieth century.

Emerging in France and crystallized around the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs, Art Deco developed as a synthesis of craftsmanship, decorative arts, and modern design principles.

In Paris, the movement remained closely tied to artisanal traditions, refined materials, and a strong culture of interior decoration. In New York, these influences were reinterpreted on a metropolitan scale, giving rise to a more monumental and vertical expression visible in architecture, interiors, and urban design.

By comparing key buildings, decorative motifs, materials, and design approaches, the talk highlights both the shared aesthetic vocabulary and the cultural distinctions that shaped Art Deco on each side of the Atlantic. Through this transatlantic lens, it reveals how the dialogue between Parisian refinement and New York’s modern ambition contributed to the international diffusion—and enduring legacy—of the Art Deco movement.

This conference is presented as part of the Oui Design Festival, organized by Villa Albertine in partnership with NYCxDESIGN. It will be led by Marie Godfrain, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine IDEAT, with panelists Edgar Jayet, a French designer and interior architect, Anthony W. Robins, Art Deco Society of New York Vice President Emeritus, Véronique Cotrel & François Mille, founders of the interior design studio in Paris and in New York.

The discussion will be followed by a cocktail reception in the gallery of the auditorium.