Funny City by Serban Ionescu for BIRKENSTOCK 1774
MATTER and SHAPE 2026

For MATTER and SHAPE 2026, BIRKENSTOCK 1774 partners with Paris- and New York–based artist Serban Ionescu on Funny City, a site-specific sculptural project exploring scale, asymmetry, and material dialogue.

Founded in 2024, MATTER and SHAPE is an annual design salon taking place March 6–9, 2026, at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris, celebrating contemporary global design in an elevated setting.

With a transversal approach to 21st-century design, the salon brings together established and emerging talents across industrial design, interiors, fashion, and the decorative arts — exploring the modern home at the intersection of craft, industry, creativity, and commerce.

The installation accompanies the launch of the 1774 Romanticismo collection launching globally in April 2026, marking the 50th anniversary of The Milano and The Boston silhouettes. At its center stands Turnstile for a Smile, a monumental walk-through sculpture symbolically inviting visitors into the world of 1774.

A second chapter unfolds at the BIRKENSTOCK 1774 Paris studio from March 27 to 29, 2026, as part of the MATTER and SHAPE Hors les Murs program. The presentation features a series of related yet unseen Funny City sculptures — an invitation to immerse more deeply in the world of BIRKENSTOCK 1774.

Register for our newsletter to stay informed about the second chapter and upcoming events.