M/M magazine by Lynn van Heesch

About M/M

Beste lezer(es), Welkom bij MMuseum Magazine ook deze maand weer bespreken we in dit nummer de designer die een expo geeft in ons museum. Dit doen we zodat de bezoekers van de expo een bredere en diepere achtergrond hebben van de designer in kwestie. Over het partnerschap van Michael Amzalag en Mathias Augustyniak zullen allerlei zaken worden verteld, weergegeven zoals een uitgebreide bibliografie. Dit is een echt interessant verhaal over hoe het partnersschap is ontstaan en hoe andere zaken. Ook zijn er verschillende exclusieve interviews afgenomen, die wij met veel trots publiceren. Wat ook uitzondelijk is, is dat één van onze reporters een interview heeft kunnen afnemen hoe de dromen over parijs waren voordat M/M is begonnen. Dit kun je lezen op blz 10-11 het is een écht aanrader.

Hoofdredactrice Victoria Lynn van Heesch

Tekst door: Victoria Lynn van Heesch, Hoofdredacteur

Veel leesplezier.

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Mathias Augustyniak

M/M (Paris) is an art and design partnership consisting of Mathias Augustyniak (born 1967, Cavaillon) and Michael Amzalag (born 1968, Paris),[1] established in Paris in 1992.

WORK M/M are best known for their art direction and collaborations with musicians (Björk, Madonna, Benjamin Biolay, Etienne Daho, Jean-Louis Murat, Mew, Kanye West); fashion designers (Nicolas Ghesquière, Yohji Yamamoto, Jil Sander, Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, Riccardo Tisci); magazines (Les Inrockuptibles, Documents sur l’art, Vogue Paris, Purple Fashion, Man About Town:; contemporary artists (Pierre Huyghe, Philippe Parreno, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, Liam Gillick, Sarah Morris, George Condo).[2]

Tekst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M/M_Paris

BIOGRAPHY Amzalag and Augustyniak met as students at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris 1988. Amzalag quit school in 1990, and started working as art director at the music magazine Les Inrockuptibles. Augustyniak continued to study at the Royal College of Art in London, from which he graduated in 1991.[3] Since neither of them were interested in interning or working for an agency or a company, they decided to work together, and founded M/M (Paris) in 1992.[2] Initially, they worked mainly for the music industry, designing record sleeves,[4] but soon they start working within the worlds of fashion and art. Their first

fashion assignment was to design the worldwide launch of Yohji Yamamoto’s Y’s range in 1993. Next, they designed campaigns for Jil Sander and graphics for Martine Sitbon. In 1995 they met photographers Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin,[5] and began a long collaboration starting with a campaign for Thierry Mugler in 1995. They created iconic works for Yohji Yamamoto, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Björk’s sleeves and the video for Hidden Place, and more art-oriented works such as The Alphabet (2001), and The Alphamen (2003), two projects based on creating typography out of portraits of models, which were published in V magazine.[6] Many of the posters M/M designed with van Lamsweerde & Matadin are manipulated or drawn-upon photographs (see e.g. their poster series Punctuation from 2010, or the poster Balenciaga (Delfine)). The purpose of this method is to accentuate hidden aspects of the photograph. In 2001 they were appointed as art directors and creative consultants to the French edition of Vogue by Carine Roitfeld, until their position was taken over by Fabien Baron in 2003. Between 1997 and 2001 M/M

worked as visiting professors at the École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, holding several student workshops, including the exploration of fashion and identity in Milneufcentseptantesix - Ready made characters for our generation with van Lamsweerde & Matadin, which was exhibited at Espace Lausannois d’Art Contemporain in 2001. In 2000 M/M collaborated with artists Pierre Huyghe and Philippe Parreno on the “No Ghost Just A Shell” project,[8] and worked again together in 2002 designing the interior of Café Etienne Marcel in Paris. [9] In 2004 they designed the sets for Éric Vigner staging of the baroque opera Antigona by Tomasso Traetta, out of

which they directed the short movie “Antigone Under Hypnosis. Since 2006, and the “rebirth” of Purple Fashion, they have acted as creative consultants for the magazine and redesigned its visual structure. Issue 10 dated fall/winter 08/09 features an in-depth interview with them by Olivier Zahm. Between 2007 to 2009, they worked as creative directors of Arena Homme +, “the world’s leading men’s fashion magazine”. In January 2008, the Centre Pompidou host their first museum retrospective in a show called “Vision Tenace” and arranged around the presentation of their “Art Posters” series of on-going collaborations with contemporary artists and institutions. In January 2009, they were appointed as creative directors of Interview Magazine, succeeding Fabien Baron, who

unexpectedly left soon after relaunching the magazine.[13] Five months later, in June 2009, they stopped working after Brant Publications, Interview Magazine parent company allegedly in turmoil, failed to pay their fees and expenses for over 3 months.[14] In October 2009, Taschen released “Stanley Kubrick’s Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made” which M/M had developed for over 2 years, designing a matruschka-like carved-out book containing 10 smaller volumes presenting segments of the research and pre-production of the movie that was never completed. In September 2010, they released in collaboration with Swedish brand Byredo their first eau-de-parfum fragrance “M/MINK”, inspired by the smell of solid Asian ink they regularly use across their designs. [16] In order to achieve this smell, they chose three pictures concerning ink to Ben Gorham, the head of Byredo, so that he can get an idea of how Augustyniak and Amzalag want the eau-de-parfum to smell like. In October 2012, Thames & Hudson published M to M of M/M (Paris), a 528-pages monograph about their work, edited by Emily King, designed by Graphic Thought Facility, with a foreword by Hans Ulrich Obrist.,[17]Since 1996 they have ex-

tended their practice through art exhibitions; and have been featured in numerous group shows Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York) and Centre Pompidou (Paris).[18] As artists, they are currently represented by Air de Paris in Paris.

List of monographic exhibitions: ⇢ 2011 Un grand serpent chromé, Les Silos, Chaumont ⇢ 2009 Un mot d’amour dans une chambre d’écho, Akbank Sanat, Istambul ⇢ 2008 Vision tenace, Centre Pompidou, Paris. Just Like An Ant Walking On The Edge Of The Visible (catalogue available); Drawing Center, New York. L’Île au Trésor, Galerie Air de Paris, Paris. The Theatre Posters (catalogue available); ggg — Ginza Graphic Gallery, Tokyo ⇢ 2006 Antigone Under Hypnosis, Paris Calling, V&A, London Haunch of Venison/ Venison of Haunch, (catalogue available); Haunch of Venison, London ⇢ 2005 Utopia of Flows; Air de Paris/Art Positions, Art Basel, Miami Beach Zugabe!; Kunstverein, Frankfurt ⇢ 2004 Antigula (catalogue available); Ursula Blicke Foundation, Krtaichtal Antigone in Asia; Rocket Gallery, Tokyo, Antigone en Yvelines; cneai, Chatou ⇢ 2003 Nine Posters and a Wallpaper; Le Rectangle, Lyon. Icônes, Indices, Symboles (catalogue available); Festival de Chaumont, Chapelle des Jesuites, Chaumont. M/M goes to Tokyo; Rocket Gallery, Tokyo ⇢ 1999 M/M; Y-1, Stockholm. ⇢ 1996 M/M, une exposition; Le Consortium, Dijon. M/M were initially influenced by post punk aesthetics as well as the strict Swiss school of graphic design and the more emotional and sensitive Polish school. Although highly visual, expressive and fashionable.

Michael Amzalag

Since 2006, and the “rebirth” of Pureple Fashion, they have acted as creative consultants for the magazine and redesigned its visual structure. Issue 10 dated fall/winter 08/09 featu res an in-depth interview with them by Olivier Zahm. Between 2007 to 2009, they worked as creative directors of Arena Homme, “the world’s leading men’s fashion maga zine”.

In January 2008, the Centre Pompidou host their first mu seum retrospective in a show called “Vision Tenace” and ar ranged around the presentati on of their “Art Posters” series of on-going collaborations with contemporary artists and institutions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M/M_Paris

In January 2009, they were appointed as creative direc tors of Interview Magazine, , succeeding Fabien Baron, who unexpectedly left soon after relaunching the maga zine. Five months later, in June 2009, they stopped working after Brant Publications, Inter view Magazine parent compa ny allegedly in turmoil, failed to pay their fees and expenses for over 3 months.

In October 2009, Tashen re leased “Stanley Kubrick’s Na poleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made” which M/M had developed for over 2 years, designing a matruschka-like carved-out book containing 10 smaller volumes presentin segments of the research and pre-production of the movie that was never completed. In September 2010, they re leased in collaboration with Swedish brand Byredo their first eau-de-parfum fragran ce “M/MINK”, inspired by the smell of solid Asian ink they regularly use across their designs. In order to achieve this smell, they chose three pictures concerning ink to Gorham, the head of Byredo,

“M/M were initially influenced by pos Swiss school of graphic design sensitive Po so that he can get an idea of how Au gustyniak and Amzalag want the eau-de-par

fum to smell like.

In October 2012, Thames & Hudson published M to M of M/M (Paris), a 528-pages monograph about their work, edited by Emily King, designed by Graphic Thought Facility, with a foreword by Hans Ulrich Obrist.

EXHIBITIONS

Since 1996 they have extended their practice through art exhibi tions; and have been featured in numerous group shows Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Solomon R. Gug genheim Museum (New York) and Centre Pompidou (Paris). As ar tists, they are currently represen ted by Air de Paris in Paris. List of monographic exhibitions: ⇢ 2011 Un grand serpent chromé, Les Silos, Chaumont ⇢ 2009 Un mot d’amour dans une chambre d’écho, Akbank Sanat, Istambul

⇢ 2008 Vision tenace, Centre Pompidou, Paris. Just Like An Ant Walking On The Edge Of The Visi ble (catalogue available); Drawing Center, New York. L’Île au Trésor, Galerie Air de Paris, Paris. The Theatre Posters (catalogue availa ble); ggg — Ginza Graphic Gallery, Tokyo

⇢ 2006 Antigone Under Hypnosis, Paris Calling, V&A, London Haunch of Venison/Venison of Hau nch, (catalogue available); Haunch of Venison, London

⇢ 2005 Utopia of Flows; Air de Pa ris/Art Positions, Art Basel, Miami Beach Zuga be!; Kunstverein, Frankfurt

⇢ 2004 Antigula (catalogue available); Ursula Blicke Foun dation, taichtal

Antigone in Asia; Rocket Galle ry, Tokyo, Antigone en Yvelines; cneai, Chatou ⇢ 2003 Nine Posters and a Wallpaper; Le Rectangle, Lyon. Icônes, Indices, Symboles (ca talogue available); Festival de Chaumont, Chapelle des Jes uites, Chaumont. M/M goes to Tokyo; Rocket Gallery, Tokyo ⇢ 1999 M/M; Y-1, Stockholm.

⇢ 1996 M/M, une exposition; Le Consortium, Dijon.

STYLE

M/M were initially influenced by post punk aesthetics as well as the strict Swiss school of graphic design and the more emotional and sensitive Po lish school. Although hig hly visual, expressive and fashionable, they have an intel lectual approach to design. M/M’s most well known designs are hand drawn; illustrative and expressive, often applied at, and integrated in, photographs (so called dessin dans l’ima-

st punk aesthetics as well as the strict n and the more emotional and olish school.” ge, or “drawings in the pictu re”); first introduced to the public in the Yohji Yamamoto Spring/Summer 1999 catalogue.

EXHIBITIONS

Since 1996 they have extended their practice through art exhibiti ons; and have been featured in nu merous group shows Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Solo mon R. Guggen heim Museum (New York) and Centre Pompidou (Paris). [18] As artists, they are currently re presented by Air de Paris in Paris [19] List of monographic exhibitions:

2011 Un grand serpent chromé, Les Silos, Chaumont 2009 Un mot d'amour dans une chambre d'écho, Akbank Sanat, Istambul

2008 Vision tenace, Centre Pompidou, Paris Just Like An Ant Walking On The Edge Of The Visible (catalogue available); Drawing Center, New York L’Île au Trésor, Galerie Air de Paris, Paris The Theatre Posters (catalogue available); ggg — Ginza Graphic Gallery, Tokyo

2006 Antigone Under Hypnosis, Paris Calling, V&A, London, Haunch of Venison/ Venison of Haunch, (catalogue available) Haunch of Venison, London 2005 Utopia of Flows; Air de Paris/ Art Positions, Art Basel, Miami Beach

Zugabe!; Kunstverein, Frankfurt

2004 Antigula (catalogue available); Ursula Blicke Foun dation, Kraichtal, Antigone in Asia; Rocket Gallery, Tokyo Antigone en Yvelines; cneai, Chatou

2003, Nine Posters and a Wall paper; Le Rectangle, Lyon, Icônes, Indices, Symboles (ca talogue available); Festival de Chaumont, Chapelle des Jesui tes, Chaumont, M/M goes to Tokyo; Rocket Gallery, Tokyo 1999 M/M; Y-1, Stockholm.

1996 M/M, une exposition; Le Consortium, Dijon.

STYLE

M/M were initially influenced by post punk aesthetics as wel as the strict Swiss school of graphic design and the more emotional and sensitive Polish school.[20] Although highly visual, expressive and fashio nable, they have an intellectual approach to design. M/M’s most well known de signs are handdrawn; illustra tive and expressive, often ap plied at, and integrated in, photographs[21] (so called dessin dans l’image, or "drawings in the picture"); first introduced to the public in the Yohji Yamamoto Spring Summer 1999 catalogue.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Their work is featured in the following public collections:

• Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Réserve des livres rares/Collection des estampes, Paris

Tekst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M/M_Paris 10

The M/M name is not unknown to fashion lovers. Throughout their career they’ve collaborated with Givenchy, Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs, and many others, including a roster of prestigious musicians, such as Björk and Madonna to name but a few. To celebrate the release of their first monograph, M to M from M/M (Paris), Mathias Augustyniak took a moment to discuss his new book, his career with Michael, and more. Eric: Where did you get the idea for M to M of M/M (Paris)? Mathias: The idea to us about eight years ago. A publisher from Thames & Hudson came to our studio and proposed the idea to publish a book about our work. It took us eight years to find a solution to publish it—to find a way to incorporate all of our work and make it look wonderful. The Givenchy Files: The definitive archive of women, men and haute-couture invitations and graphic works (2007-2012) Eric: But M/M also publishes independently; for instance, you published The Givenchy Files yourself, correct? Mathias: The Givenchy Files is a Thames & Hudson publication. It is more like volumes of an encyclopedia. With M to M from M/M (Paris), we wanted to do something different. We do have the ambition to publish our own books, or in any case, to have an editorial policy. That’s

why with M to M, we wanted to be intentionally detached. There were so many things [to include] because [the book] represents two decades of our work. We wanted it to be very simple. The idea was to create a kind of compass. Eric: The book contains all of your collaborations in the fashion industry. Was fashion an industry that you both wanted to get

into when you were young? Mathias: Fashion has always been important to us, as a medium in which we can intervene, and, in any case, an environment in which we can create images. When we got into it, the only images were from fashion shows. There were commercials and there were maga-

zines, but it was not like today where image is essential to convey all the things related to brand. Today more than ever, the image in the fashion industry is very important. And we are interested in it because, in the history of images, fashion is a culturally rich area.

Eric: Nicolas Ghesquière said in the book, Fashion has become global. As an artist, what is your view Mathias: I would go even further. I would say that fashion has become a real industry. When we started, there was still a concept of craft. We worked with people who were at the

head of their own fashion houses; the fashion designer was still the one who owned the house in which he worked. For example, someone like Jil Sander, or someone with whom we have never worked, such as Helmut Lang. Today, for example, someone like Nicolas Ghesquière runs a brand called Balencia-

ga, but this is not his own brand. We really went into this industrial level. Eric: How were your collaborations with Nicolas Ghesquière? Mathias: Initially, they had this ‘pre-industrial’ quality; that is, we had a lot more time to do things because the pace was slower than it is today. We had time to discuss things. It was a time when everyone brought his piece to the building. He was doing the collection. We were doing the vi-

sual translation of it, and at the time, we worked with a team of photographers called Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. It was a pooling of knowledge; we influenced each other. We made a visual translation of Nicolas’s ideas and then him with our images. It went further and brought us further and so on. We gradually created this whole brand. Balenciaga autumn/winter 2002 invitation, photography by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. Eric: A few weeks ago, Vogue Paris remade his mock-up. You worked there for a few years ago that. Mathias: Yes, we ended up there because there was Marie-Amélie Sauvé, who worked at Vogue Paris. Marie-Amélie Sauvé is a stylist. She worked extensively with Nicolas Ghesquière. And she talked about us to Carine Roitfeld, who wanted to meet us. At the time, we did campaigns with Nicolas Ghesquière, Calvin Klein, and Yohji Yamamoto, so we already had a presence as the artistic directors of Vogue Paris. Eric: Was your arrival at Interview magazine identical to Vogue? Mathias: There was a thunderbolt [of creativity] between us and Glenn O’Brien. It was very fast; it lasted two months. We did three or four issues.Eric: And the last issue you did was the one with Björk on the cover? Mathias: Yes, yes it was. That was a story of passion that had us consumed. It’s a shame, because there really was a thunderbolt with Glenn O’Brien, who was then the editor-in-chief of Interview, and when we left, he left shortly after. 11

Interv Get to kn thias Aug of M/M (P Words by Eric Portrait by Inez de & Vinoodh Ma 20 years, eclectic d chael Amzalag and M have created a unique lages, and typographies (Paris). Their collective w and art worlds makes them o and influential design partner The M/M name is not unknown their career they’ve collaborated w Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs, and many tigious musicians, such as Björk and M brate the release of their first monograp Augustyniak took a moment to discuss and m

Eric: Where did you get the idea

Mathias: The idea came to us about eight years to our studio and proposed the idea to publish a bo solution to publish it—to find a way to incorporate a venchy Files: The definitive archive of women, me (2007-

Tekst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M/M_Paris

Eric: But M/M also publishes independently; yourself,

Mathias: The Givenchy Files is a Thames & Hudson publicati from M/M (Paris), we wanted to do something different. We do have an editorial policy. That’s why with M to M, we wanted to b because [the book] represents two decades of our work. We wante

Eric: The book contains all of your collaborations in the fash to get into when

Mathias: Fashion has always been important to us, as a medium in which w images. When we got into it, the only images were from fashion shows. There image is essential to convey all the things related to a brand. Today more than ev it because, in the history of images

Eric: Nicolas Ghesquière said in the book, Fashion h

Mathias: I would go even further. I would say that fashion has become a real industry. at the head of their own fashion houses; the fashion designer was still the one who owned whom we have never worked, such as Helmut Lang. Today, for example, someone like Ni went into this in

Eric: How were your collaborat

Mathias: Initially, they had this ‘pre-industrial’ quality; that is, we had a lot more time to do thi when everyone brought his piece to the building. He was doing the collection. We were doing the Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. It was a pooling of knowledge; we influenced each

view: now Magustyniak Paris). 1877 c Waroll M/M Van Lamsweeratadin For the past design partners MiMathias Augustyniak world of images, colunder the name of M/M work in the music, fashion, one of the most emblematic rs of the twenty-first century. n to fashion lovers. Throughout with Givenchy, Balenciaga, Yohji y others, including a roster of presMadonna to name but a few. To celeph, M to M from M/M (Paris), Mathias his new book, his career with Michael, more.

a for M to M of M/M (Paris)?

ago. A publisher from Thames & Hudson came ook about our work. It took us eight years to find a all of our work and make it look wonderful. The Gien and haute-couture invitations and graphic works -2012)

for instance, you published The Givenchy Files , correct?

ion. It is more like volumes of an encyclopedia. With M to M o have the ambition to publish our own books, or in any case, to be intentionally detached. There were so many things [to include] ed it to be very simple. The idea was to create a kind of compass.

hion industry. Was fashion an industry that you both wanted you were young?

we can intervene, and, in any case, an environment in which we can create e were commercials and there were magazines, but it was not like today where ver, the image in the fashion industry is very important. And we are interested in s, fashion is a culturally rich area.

has become global. As an artist, what is your view?

When we started, there was still a concept of craft. We worked with people who were d the house in which he worked. For example, someone like Jil Sander, or someone with icolas Ghesquière runs a brand called Balenciaga, but this is not his own brand. We really ndustrial level.

tions with Nicolas Ghesquière?

ings because the pace was slower than it is today. We had time to discuss things. It was a time e visual translation of it, and at the time, we worked with a team of photographers called Inez van h other. We made a visual translation of Nicolas’s ideas and then him with our images. 13

Tekst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M/M_Paris 14

Interview: Get to know Mathias Augustyniak of M/M (Paris). 1877 Words by Eric Waroll M/M Portrait by Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. For the past 20 years, eclectic design partners Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak have created a unique world of images, collages, and typographies under the name of M/M (Paris). Their collective work in the music, fashion, and art worlds makes them one of the most emblematic and influential design partners of the twenty-first century. The M/M name is not unknown to fashion lovers. Throughout their career they’ve collaborated with Givenchy, Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs, and many others, including a roster of prestigious musicians, such as Björk and Madonna to name but a few. To celebrate the release of their first monograph, M to M from M/M (Paris), Mathias Augustyniak took a moment to discuss his new book, his career with Michael, and more.Eric: Where did you get the idea for M to M of M/M (Paris)? Mathias: The idea came to us about eight years ago. A publisher from Thames & Hudson came to our studio and proposed the idea to publish a book about our work. It took us eight years to find a solution to publish it—to

find a way to incorporate all of our work and make it look wonderful. The Givenchy Files: The definitive archive of women, men and haute-couture invitations and graphic works (2007-2012) Eric: But M/M also publishes independently; for instance, you published The Givenchy Files yourself, correct? Mathias: The Givenchy Files is a Thames & Hudson publication. It is more like volumes of an encyclopedia. With M to M from M/M (Paris), we wanted to do something different. We do have the ambition to publish our own books, or in any case, to have an editorial policy. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why with M to M, we wanted to be intentionally detached. There were so many things [to include] because [the book] represents two decades of our work. We wanted it to be very simple. The idea was to create a kind of compass. Eric: The book contains all of your collaborations in the fashion industry. Was fashion an industry that you both wanted to get into when you were young? Mathias: Fashion has always been important to us, as a medium in which we can intervene, and, in any case, an environment in which we can create images. When we got into it, the only images were from fashion shows. There were commercials and there were magazines, but it was not like today where