View of Guillaume Bardet’s liturgical furnishings from the entrance ® Guillaume Bardet
On Friday, June 23, 2023, Monsignor Laurent Ulrich, Archbishop of Paris, announced the selection of the artists who will design and produce the liturgical furnishings for Notre-Dame Cathedral.
“I have selected these artists with the aim of ensuring that our Cathedral’s liturgical furnishings embody the principle of “noble simplicity”. […] They must touch the heart of every visitor, even outside of our religious celebrations, and must be able to stand the test of time” explained Monsignor Ulrich.
The Selection Process
In October 2022, the Diocese of Paris initiated a consultation process to select artists to design and produce liturgical furnishings for the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral.
An Artistic Committee established by Monsignor Ulrich reviewed the 69 projects submitted in coordination with the selections of the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture (CNPA).
Liturgical Furnishings and Chairs
Guillaume Bardet will create the five essential items of liturgical furniture (baptismal font, pulpit, main altar, tabernacle and cathedra).
His vision is to “create a work centred on the eternal. The pieces must embrace the past, embody the present and envision the future. […] They must resonate both during and outside of Mass: without clamouring for attention, they must be visible. They must be an obvious presence.”
Ionna Vautrin will design the chairs for Notre-Dame de Paris. She explained her approach: “I focused on an architectural feature specific to Notre-Dame: the large group of pillars, pilasters and colonnettes that emphasises the Cathedral’s dizzying verticality. I designed these chairs in dialogue with this architecture: the backs are deliberately low, creating a silent horizon for the faithful and visitors entering the Cathedral.”
The Crown of Thorns Reliquary
Sylvain Dubuisson was commissioned to create the new reliquary for Christ’s Crown of Thorns.
Visitors from across the globe will be able to express their devotion by touching the reliquary and lighting a candle as a sign of respect and testimony of their prayer.
Dubuisson will use cedar wood, the same wood of the relic, to carve a large iconostasis. The Christ’s Crown of Thorns will be placed at the center.
