Interieur — the buzz, the glam, the laughs
When you set off for the professional day of Interieur Kortrijk, you pretty much get what you’d expect : lots of loud music, big crowds, shortages in champagne, and in parking-lots, impressive stands with wowing light effects, everyone asking which party you’ll be going at tonight, and a constant feeling you’ve still got to see about the half. But you wonder if it will really be that much different from the rest, and if you’re not better off chasing those rare waiters distributing the much needed, yet a bit too cold, snacks.
The real fun, and interest, is somewhere between the stands : it’s all the people you come across, or get to meet, and the happenings and features of the fair. When walking through, you notice the panels Stefan Schöning designed for the belgian railway stations. The production is clearly qualitative : those panels are meant to last. Some extra features add up to the seduction, like integrated screens.
It’s also safe to bet every visitor has adventured himself into the bright tunnel connecting two halls, designed by Swedish architect Matt Karlsson, no matter how much it blinds you, or how pale it makes you look. Generally, the work of the scenographers, DOORZON and nu-architectuuratelier is spot-on, and manages to integrate all the different elements of the fair, like the mentioned tunnel. At one of its ends, we came across Johan Valcke, on the Design Vlaanderen stand. They were the only organization having a stand, and grabbed the opportunity to show Belgian know-how in the designing of chairs, by displaying 16 of them on a working carousel. We couldn’t help but wonder where the idea came from. So we asked.
Further on the parcours, you’re struck by a colourful pile of small chairs. Their shape indicates they must have a particularity, the small prize confirms it. The chairs are designed by Alain Berteau, who was elected Belgian Designer of the Year. It is produced by Montis, who edits another chair by the Belgian designer, and it is sponsored during the fair by Weekend Le Vif/L’Express and Weekend Knack. During our conversations, we improvised a second interview, which comes as an enlightenment to understand what sets the chair apart from its siblings.
Also note Alain had a new chair edited by Vange. So, on we went, to meet some international designers. This year’s Guest of Honor is no-one less than the Swiss Alfredo Häberli. He presented new shoes that fit both left and right foot, and the rest of his work, designed chalets that showcase historical pieces of Swiss design, and held a talk during the launch-conference, that charmed the whole audience. The only real design magazine Belgium has, Damn°, made a wonderful work of editing a guide to the fair, with an extensive profile of Alfredo, including two double-spread pages full of the designer’s drawings.
We met with Satyendra Pakhalé, whom we were very eager to interview, at the exit of the conference. He was part of the jury for the Design For Europe competition, is edited by some of the most impressive brands, and seemed like a very nice person to interview, seen his characterful approach to design, and his unique personality. He lead us to the Capellini stand, took a seat in his Fish-chair, and answered our questions. We were blown away by his charm, his modesty and his incredible insight. You can notice he hasn’t brought his achievements up once.
For the background-information, S. Pakhalé studied in Bombay and Switzerland, and now works and lives in Amsterdam. He was honored by an exhibition in the MoMa (NY) in 2004, and in 2005 in Amsterdam and Bologna. Funnily enough, he doesn’t call himself a designer, but a Cultural Nomad, both on his website and his businesscard.
Interieur did it’s own little magic again. It has brought the big names in our small country, and put the focus on those who need and deserve it. It’s not the place for finding the new trends : only a handful of emerging and young designers make it to the stands, and floral patterns, stripes, yelling colors and rococo-influences still haven’t freed the stage for something we wouldn’t be bored of yet. All the contrary. The Belgian editors were all there, with their new products, but with little surprises in the end. Whereas in the past edition, new names had come to fill the scene. D & A Lab (Design & Artists Lab), an initiative by Dirk Meylaerts and Bruno Rouffaert, is the only exception. They invited confirmed contemporary artists to design limited editions of functional objects. The most unexpected and encouraging thing though, would be the arrival of brands you wouldn’t have dared to label as design-companies a few years ago. The interest of design and innovation seems to have conquered new grounds, which opens up new perspectives for the whole field.
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