wabi-sabi mood (pre-order)

Wabi-sabi, the ancient philosophy that values imperfection, has dominated Japanese art at its highest level.

Today, it is becoming an “endangered species”. Worse still… this aesthetic of the timeless, which feeds on the long term, even enriching itself with the patina of time, has been recuperated by the mass-market decorating industry, and is now used in communications relating to consumer goods that are unfashionable and disposable: a total antinomy.

Wabi-sabi cannot be reduced to formulas or ready-made expressions without destroying its essence. Hence, the Wabi-Sabi lab is an original and demanding event bringing together some twenty players who embody the values of wabi-sabi and/or the creative or even experimental dimension suggested by the suffix “lab”.

A crossbreeding, driven by the selective eye of a pair of insatiably curious bargain hunters. A manifesto that invokes the very foundations of wabi-sabi, far removed from the fad it has become.

Almost 30 years ago, when leaving the world of contemporary art, Thierry Grundman undertook to go “elsewhere”: towards other projects, towards other cultures. It was in India that THE meeting of his life took place and that the idea of a collection of unusual and rare pieces was born. What determines this choice? Their singularity. The emotion they arouse, the poetry that emerges from them, their timeless and universal beauty. Atmosphère d’Ailleurs was born. Atmosphère d’Ailleurs is an invitation to step out of time, to cross distant lands. To be moved by the poetry that emanates from unique pieces, to join their history. For Thierry Grundman, travelling antiques dealer and founder of the brand, it is a passion of each moment… and a transmission.

Anne-Emmanuelle Thion is a passionate and sensitive photographer based in France and Gran Canaria. And above all, a traveler. As a freelancer for 25 years, she has photographed travel, decoration, lifestyle, gastronomy and portraits for the press, agencies and brands. Her inspiration also leads her to more personal and artistic creations, with an introduction to old-fashioned printing techniques. Her work, often linked to matter and gentle imperfection, is a constant search for subjective beauty. Intuitively, she heads to the island of Gran Canaria to create the Finca Gallery, a place for inspiration, (re)connection and exhibitions. During the first wabi-sabi lab (29 November to 2 December 2024) she presents “TAOLI”. 25 years of photography, search and immersion. A visual, olfactory, gustatory and sonic escape.

Author / Curator: Thierry Grundman

Photographer: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

240 pages hardcover

Publication: July 2025

Size: 224 x 310 mm (8.82 x 12.20 inches)

Bilingual edition (English + French)