Picasso, through the Eyes of Paul Smith

Picasso, through the Eyes of Paul Smith places works by Pablo Picasso from the Musée National Picasso–Paris within an exhibition environment conceived by British designer Paul Smith. Rather than presenting a conventional chronological retrospective, the exhibition uses colour, pattern and spatial design to create unexpected relationships across Picasso’s career.

Smith’s scenography draws on the visual energy of his own fashion practice while responding directly to Picasso’s shifting approaches to painting, sculpture and image-making. Works are arranged in a loosely chronological sequence, but the design encourages comparison between periods and mediums rather than a single linear narrative.

The exhibition demonstrates how a contemporary designer can act as an interpretive lens on a canonical artist, raising questions about how museum display influences the way historical art is encountered and understood.