This exhibition, the first dedicated to the jubilant work of filmmaker Wes Anderson, traces the chronological evolution of his career—from his early days as a self-taught director in the 1990s (Bottle Rocket) to his most recent works (Asteroid City), including his most visually striking and internationally acclaimed films.
The formal rigor of Wes Anderson’s cinema reveals recurring stylistic choices: a passion for tableaux vivants, symmetry, graphic composition, sharp editing, poetic dialogue, and the omnipresence of music—not to mention his unwavering dedication to shooting on film. This exhibition explores the aesthetic uniqueness of his entire filmography and the meticulous preparatory work that takes place before filming carried out in close collaboration with his trusted team: cinematographer Robert Yeoman, screenwriter and producer Roman Coppola, composer Alexandre Desplat, and production designer Adam Stockhausen, among others. From the bittersweet charm of The Royal Tenenbaums to the vibrant pre-1968 European world of The French Dispatch, and through the handcrafted process of stop-motion animation (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs), the exhibition provides an opportunity to understand how Anderson’s iconoclastic vision and obsessive attention to detail have created some of the most visually and emotionally captivating films of recent decades—a cinema of fantasy, yet deeply human.
Wes Anderson propels his characters into fancifully invented worlds (New Penzance Island, Megasaki City, Ennui-sur-Blasé, or the desert town of Asteroid City). However, rather than filming in a studio, he prefers to transform real locations to fit the stories he writes. Hundreds of objects are meticulously crafted to bring these worlds to life—furniture, books, maps, newspapers, means of transportation… Wes Anderson had the early foresight to preserve these carefully designed items, and this exhibition seeks to present many of these iconic objects to the public. Assembled for the first time, they represent more than just memorabilia; they carry traces of those who created and handled them, bearing witness to a unique cinematic craft.
Thus, visitors will see the hand-painted maquette of The Darjeeling Limited train, the vividly colored book covers from Moonrise Kingdom, the painting Boy with Apple from The Grand Budapest Hotel, puppets from Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs, and Asteroid City, the miraculous miniatures of Simon Weisse, the graphic design work of Erica Dorn, and, of course, the incredible costume collections—including those designed by the multi-Oscar-winning costume designer Milena Canonero. More than any other, Wes Anderson’s cinema naturally lends itself to exhibition—an exquisite showcase where relics of the past become part of the present, and where scenography itself transforms into mise-en-scène. These film artifacts will be accompanied by a selection of rare photographs and Polaroids, as well as original documents—meticulously conceived, written, and drawn by the director himself (notebooks, screenplay archives, preliminary sketches, storyboards).
This exhibition offers a deep dive into a creative process marked by artistic freedom, unrestricted by conventional rules or the rigid branding strategies so often sought after by Hollywood studios. It unveils the secrets behind the making of these melancholic comedies—films that have forever changed contemporary cinema.
Matthieu Orléan
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Exhibition produced by the Cinémathèque française in collaboration with the Design Museum, London and in partnership with Wes Anderson and American Empirical Pictures
The Design Museum in London will host a revised version of the exhibition after its run in Paris.
Curated by :
Matthieu Orléan, Cinémathèque française, Paris
Lucia Savi, Johanna Agerman Ross, Design Museum, London
In collaboration with Octavia Peissel, American Empirical Pictures
Photographies : Stéphane Dabrowski