The Velvet Gallery is organizing on the occasion of the 26° Puces du Design, from May 10 to 13, an exhibition dedicated to Quasar Khanh, pioneer of inflatable furniture.
The Khanh family, 1968 - Archives famille Khanh
On this occasion will be presented the collection 'Aerospace', the first line of inflatable furniture ever designed with rare pieces from an old stock and the "Quasar Unipower" concept car designed in 1967.
'Aerospace' collection - Photo Mike Jayet for the Velvet Galerie 2010
Quasar, whose real name is Nguyen Manh Khanh, was born in Hanoï, Vietnam. He arrived in Paris with his family in 1949 and studied engineering at the prestigious Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées. In 1957, he married a young fashion designer; both will mark their time and form a creative and avant-garde couple.
In 1967, he developed the very first line of inflatable furniture, the collection "Aerospace" which will instantly become a standard of design.
Model 'Apollo', Aerospace collection, 1968 - photo Mick Jayet for the Velvet galerie 2010
In 1968 he created the car 'Quasar Unipower' foreshadowing of a purely urban vehicle, rolling glass cube, designed for mass production. It will ultimately be produced in only six copies but it will have left its mark on the seventies with its innovative and futuristic aspects.
The 'Cube', Paris 1968 - Archives famille Khanh
His 'Chesterfield' sofas, 'Apollo' chairs, 'Relax' lounge chair and other inflatable lamps ... were manufactured between 1968 and 1972 in the suburbs of Paris, in a beach toy factory. They were made entirely by hand like pieces of haute couture, and for some, the assemblies were made with metal rings.
Modular sofa 'Apollo', 1968 - photo Velvet Galerie
This institutional recognition continues up to now: pieces of the collection 'Aerospace' appear in the collections of the greatest museums in the world - Centre Pompidou, MoMA, Vitra Design Museum...
Exhibition: Quasar Khanh, le pionnier du mobilier gonflable
Les Puces du design
Bercy Village, Paris 12°
From May 10 to 13 2012
tags: 
C. Helium Pr., on March 23: 
Mentor Mg, on April 12: 
Caroline, on August 3: 
Imagine, on September 23: 
H. design firms, on March 4: 
Andy Grey, on April 26: 
You'd have thought that smoking a cigarette (see first pic) was not a great idea around inflatable plastic....