L’Heure Bleue becomes an exhibition: this is how, for Guerlain, art tells the story of a fragrance
This new reinterpretation of the fragrance takes centre stage in “L’Heure des Possibles”, an exhibition experience at the boutique on the Champs-Élysées.
Key points
To mark the launch of its new reinterpretation of the iconic fragrance “L’Heure Bleue”, the French perfume house Guerlain did not confine itself to an advertising campaign: it has created an art exhibition in its historic boutique on the Champs-Élysées, entitled “L’Heure des Possibles” (until 15 November). The product’s name served as inspiration for the exhibition’s theme, the “blue hour” – that moment at dusk, between day and night, when the light shifts, the imagination is stirred and new possibilities are revealed. An hour of transformation, uncertainty and openness to what may come next. In an age marked by a sense of urgency, it is an invitation to watch the light as it fades, to anticipate what emerges from the shadows and to prepare for a better world.
The works on display
The exhibition explores the idea of transition, transformation and intermediate states through the works of 34 international contemporary artists in an intergenerational dialogue. It unfolds across three themes: contemplation, experimentation and taking flight. There are works more closely linked to the idea of light, such as those by the Californian master James Turrell (whose auction record stands at 640,000 euros), or those by Ann Veronica Janssens, who works with luminosity, glass and optical phenomena (at Alfonso Artiaco’s gallery, her works range from 20,000 to 225,000 euros). In the photographs by Rinko Kawauchi, light illuminates moments of everyday family life that take on a profound meaning, in keeping with the Shinto belief that every element of nature, whether an everyday object or a living being, possesses its own spirit (at auction, prices are below 12,000 euros).
Other works draw inspiration from the theme of transition to explore adolescence as an intermediate stage between childhood and adulthood, when identity is still taking shape and everything seems possible. For example, this theme is evoked in the photographs by Rineke Dijkstra (at auction, a set of six photographs fetched 445,000 euros) and by Adeline Care, set in Marseille.
Ambiguity and uncertainty characterise the paintings by Xie Lei, winner of the 2025 Prix Marcel Duchamp, who takes existing images and isolates a figure, a face or a gesture, suspending time and action and prompting the viewer to imagine and project their own memories (prices €9,000–€50,000 at Sies+Höke in Düsseldorf).
A 20-year-long story
This is not the first time Guerlain has organised an exhibition to celebrate a product – a way of creating a dialogue between the company’s heritage and contemporary creation. It is a tradition dating back 20 years, to 2006, when the ‘Insolence’ exhibition was organised to mark the launch of the fragrance of the same name. In 2021, meanwhile, ‘When Material Becomes Art’ accompanied the relaunch of the ‘L’Art & La Matière’ collection. Two years later, ‘Chère Eugénie’ celebrated the 170th anniversary of ‘Eau de Cologne Impériale’, and in 2025, the centenary of ‘Shalimar’ provided an opportunity to explore the universal theme of love, which lies at the heart of the fragrance’s original inspiration.
