Studio Mortazavi is honored to design and curate the Villa San Francisco, the first French artistic residency in the United States. We thrive to create a special space, made by artists, for artists. Together with them, we are crafting an “experience de vie” for the residents to feel immersed and inspired.
The genesis of our project for the Villa San Francisco comes from its core: the artists. Our curation was thought as a bridge between France and Northern California, woven through with the powerful works of French and Californian artists: Agnès Varda, JR, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Annelise Michelson, and Jay Nelson.
Studio Mortazavi’s design of the soft color palette was drawn from Wayne Thiebaud’s “French Pastries” painting which is a marriage of Californian tonalities with an epitome of the French culinary culture. The color patterns of the walls follow the scalable dimensions of the Villa Medici’s moldings. Daniel Buren-inspired stripes make the journey from the PalaisRoyal in Paris to the Villa San Francisco, adding a contrasting element as a graphic and iconic anchor.
Studio Mortazavi’s goal is for the Villa San Francisco to provide both an inspiring immersion and an open gate to San Francisco’s creative communities. Our hope is for the Villa to organically evolve with each resident who will add their own touch and make it their own.
