The French capital is busy this week of October not just because of the Art Basel. International collectors and art aficionados get to catch several design events in the Left Bank’s tony Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood . Thema is a brand-new design fair housed in a historic Parisian townhouse. The show is small, 11 galleries on two floors featuring mainly up-and-coming artists and designers. According to the founder of the Thema, Michael Hadida, what distinguishes this fair is its commitment to sustainability and inclusivity. The long anticipated launch of Design Miami fair finally happened. The Art Basel's sister show is housed in a 18th century mansion with an interesting history, L'hôtel de Maisons. Many of the 27 participating galleries have to share rooms. Over half of the exhibitors are Paris-based displaying pieces by iconic French designers such as Jean Royère and Jean Prouvé. American galleries are presented here as well. I caught up with two New York galleries, Friedman Benda and Hostler Burrows. Design at Large section features oversized installations and sculptures in the garden in the back. And the icing on the cake are the sweet designs by the Milanese café Cova, which set up a temporary counter here and the deserts look delicious. Paris, October 18, 2023
Tag: sustainable design
ICFF 2023
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair brought together over 400 emerging and established design brands to Javits Center in New York. Among my highlights are: the Norway pavilion with the emphasis on sustainability; and original design studio Faina by Victoria Yakusha from Ukraine. The fair program also features students' work. Some brands and artists in the video (no sponsorship*): Michael J. Brolly Moooi Morelato Dounia Lighting Varier HeyMat Yiting Hou Wang Yichu New York, NY May 21-23, 2023