​Faire le Mur or Setting up a Wall consists of 300 emblematic pieces of wallpaper from an inventory of more than 400,000 items at Les Arts Décoratifs. The unusual exhibition comprises six rooms of the Paris museum’s Study Gallery, juxtaposing techniques and periods in wallpaper design, from the 18th century to the present. Ancient papers are compared with the contemporary to illustrate production methods, typologies and forms that have evolved.

Wallpaper is more than just surface distraction, we are told. It creates new sensations and ambiances, and its patterns and chromatic, luminous effects transform our perception of space, even inducing fictitious architectures and trompe-l’oeil effects. This event shows wallpaper’s role in the history of the decorative arts and perhaps proves that wallpaper might be considered an art in its own right. lesartsdecoratifs.fr