THE BUBBLE - July 2025

A bubble, a parenthesis, a break, a moment to change our ideas and share our discoveries and passions.

#1 Ferdinand Cheval's Ideal Palace

Nestled in Hauterives, in the Drôme department, the Palais Idéal is a work as singular as it is unexpected. Built at the end of the 19th century by Ferdinand Cheval, a simple rural postman, this extraordinary monument is the result of 33 years of solitary work, born from a dream and a stone stumbled upon on a path.

Inspired by postcards, nature, myths, and distant civilizations, the Palace blends completely different styles and cultures. Spanning over 1,000 m², it houses Indian columns, mineral waterfalls, Egyptian temples, medieval castles, and sculpted animals, in an assemblage where every detail seems to escape time.

For Ferdinand Cheval, this palace was born without an architect, without a plan, without any other ambition than that of making an interior world visible.

#2 Matisse and Marguerite - A Father's Gaze

Bringing together more than 110 works (paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, ceramics), the exhibition aims to show the artist's and father's perspective that Matisse had on his eldest daughter, Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse (1894-1982), an essential but discreet figure in his family circle.

Organized chronologically, the exhibition demonstrates the strength of the bond between the artist and his daughter and provides insight into the trust and respect they shared in one another. It also provides an opportunity to discover the life of an extraordinary woman who played a key role in her father's career.

#3 Palme d'Or for short film - I'm Glad You're Dead Now

Tawfeek Barhom's I'm Glad You're Dead Now won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The 13-minute film explores the complex relationship between two brothers reunited on the remote island of their childhood.

As they return to the places of their past, they confront buried memories, unspoken family secrets, and long-suppressed tensions. Between pain, guilt, and attempts at reconciliation, I'm Glad You're Dead Now questions memory, blood ties, and the possibility of turning a page.

#4 Embossing

Embossing invites itself as a play of light and shadow on watchmaking surfaces. Unlike embossing, which highlights a pattern, this technique creates a hollow relief, delicately sculpting the material.

On dials, it allows for subtle textures or more assertive decorations to be created, as on the Ecce Smalt model, where the embossed grooves form a living canvas. This hollow work accentuates the visual depth and gives the dial a rhythm that is perceptible to the slightest ray.

Also used on certain leathers, embossing becomes a discreet but essential signature of the care taken with the finishes.