Pierre Charpin – DesignApplause

Talking to didier krzentowski of galerie kreo. Design miami/ 2013.

Dec 20, 2013

2012 galerie kreo booth

[DesignApplause] We talked with Didier Krzentowski of Galerie Kreo in 2012 and 2013. But we never published 2012. The following is 2012 and Didier is going to start with where it all began.
[Didier Krzentowsk] OK, so like 15 years ago, I find out that in fact, if you speak about design and furniture design, or industrial design, we are living in a world where we remix everything, not much is really new. Even if you take the cars, you see fantastic design that happened between the ’50s and the ’70s. If you take the watches, it’s about the same. But after that, if you take into account much of the industrial design, even though technologically things get better and better, much of the design is a remix, a re-hash.

So I got the idea, at this time to have a gallery, one that could be like a collaboratory with the designers, where we could think about ‘new’ designs, plus thinking this new design could afterwards go to market. I never speak about decoration but more functional design. And all of the designers we work with like Konstantin Grcic, the Bourroullec’s, Pierre Charpin, or Martin Szekely or Hella Jongerius are also all thinking first in their head about industrial design with products going to market. And the gallerie concept in a good way allows them to pre-think, as you were, their designs and maybe helps them to build what they want the design to be in the future.

465 | konstantin grcic | galerie kreo | 2011

For example we are in the DesignMiami art fair, and here’s a table (465 from ‘champion collection’ that consisted of eight tables) by Konstantin Grcic. You see on the feet of the table you have decorative symbols which are unique to the table, and in fact, it is ideal to say, now everything is branded because of those symbols. And then a new idea arises that the next generation tables will be come in an assortment of colors. Each time the designer has an opportunity to see their effort, there are new ideas.

In fact, the very idea of the gallery is to be a platform where the designer, the collector, the visitor can speak of design in the future. That’s 90% of the work of the gallery. The rest of the work is aimed at collecting. I’m kind of a furniture collector. And for 30 years I’m collecting lamps. There is a book by jrp|ringier called The Complete Designers’ Light (1950-1990) where I was showing like 800 lamps from the ’50s to the ’90s. And this book lists all the lamps with the designers I work with. And in fact, the book was just to show that we invent and when people invent.

[DA] What did you do prior to 15 years ago? Were you just collecting or did you have a gallery?
[DK] I was a collector, an avid collector of art and furniture design. And when we sold the company I was working with, I thought that my next edition would be to do something I like and what I like was art and design. And before I opened the gallery, I was thinking about industrial design but the financial side of it. That perspective came when I was working in the sports industry, I was working with Jean Claude Killy, the skier, and I saw all these sports guys had agents and Killy signed on with Mark McCormack who headed IMG (International Management Group).

And I thought why can’t we bring these designers who also work in a huge industry and bring them together to think about new products. And the company was called Kreo. And in fact, everyone was quite happy with all the products that were introduced. There may be 30 million pieces in the world now. And at this time we work with Marc Newson, the Bourellacs’, with all of them. But we couldn’t succeed, because people were not in the mood to wait and they wanted the product right away. But some were ok with a copy of the product, which we can now call a limited edition of the product.

[DA] How, how do you collaborate with your designers? How do you commission them? What determines what you carry?
[DK] We are like partners. Well no, in fact, we are the first to work the way of the art industry, that means we are not exactly partners but instead we split the production and we split the margin that we earn. And this was different from everybody else. So maybe it’s for this reason, for 15 years or 14 years (Galerie Kreo opened in 1999), we continue to work with all these designers. And if you take people like Konstantin Grcic, like the Bourellacs, like Charpin, they have one gallery in the world, and we are that gallery.

[DA] When they have an idea do they approach you? Is that how that works?
[DK] Yes and no but whenever they do approach us and we begin to speak together, it can be really very long. Jasper Morrison, we had to wait five years to do an exhibition, but we have made two in a row.

strong>[DA] And what of the other way around? You have an idea and you want something to happen?
[DK] No. In fact, I never have an idea because I’m not a designer. So in fact, they work on research and when they ready they come to me. Though, if we have a group show, it can come from me. I will finish with a fantastic show, but with only three answers. The question with the missing object. (both laugh.)

strong>[DA] Do you want to say anything about Design Miami?
[DK] Of course, I’m very happy about Design Miami. Why? Because, in fact, you know, we went to see Craig Robins a long time ago to say a lot of art collectors collect our furniture, and we wanted to begin something with them. And we began the fair with them. So when we saw the success of Basel, Art Basel and Design Miami, we were really happy.

strong>[DA] You’re on the vetting committee to determine who’s going to be here. Obviously, since day one, right?
[DK] Exactly.

strong>[DA] Do you have to turn any away?
[DK] Sometimes we turn away. Sometimes we say people be careful, because you are showing the same thing, you know just like a vetting committee.

[DA] There are 36 galleries this year, so congratulations are in order. Is there anything you want to say about the business aspect in general?
[DK] Thank you. I’m really happy because in fact, we see that more and more people beginning to look at the furniture designer, and that’s great.

didier in 2013 galerie kreo booth

[DesignApplause] Back at it with Didier in 2013. What’s happened this past year?
[DK] I think people are more and more involved in design and look intently at furniture, especially at Design Miami/. They are also more interested in content and the story of the designer’s who are making the pieces.

[DA] Do you have an opinion on why this is happening?
[DK] I am not sure why. We have definitely seen a rise in the interest for design; you now have major Art Museums organizing very important design shows. Such as the Marc Newson exhibit currently on at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Design is at the forefront of contemporary creation, and has managed to capture a younger audience, as well as the more established collectors.

[DA] The designer’s that you’re representing are also very strong production designers.
[DK] Absolutely. The designers we represent, also work with the best industrial companies such as Flos, Vitra, Alessi…At the gallery we act like a research laboratory for them, meaning they have total freedom to create.

poltrona gold | alessandro mendini | 2013

gemstone table | hella jongerius | 2013

[DA] We were in Chicago at Art Expo this past September. Tony Kalman had a great show. Do you think design galleries would come and be well received in Chicago?
[DK] Of course. Chicago is a very important place in Art and Design.

[DA] At Art Expo, at some point after going from booth to booth the idea of are there any architects or designers hanging in the booths. I only asked a few booths and maybe sorry this idea didn’t come sooner. But out of 12 galleries asked, eight had designers or architects in Art Expo. One was Gyorgy Kepes who taught at the Institute of Design in Chicago. He taught a class on light and design. Gyorgy was very influential in Chicago and Moholy Nagy asked him to teach. Another Alexandre Arrechea, a Cuban born artist. His sculpture represented Chicago bridges which are all stacked. Even a gallery owner, Robert Koch, is an architect.
[DK] Interesting. To be an artist you are free if you wish to go into any field. For an architect or designer that may be a bit more complicated in it’s constraints.

[DA] Let’s flip it around. Are any of your designers here pursuing art that you know of?
[DK] No, they are all in design. Now fashion, if you think of Dior he’s a fashion designer but he’s also an artist with a big ‘A’. But the designers in our galerie are just thinking about design.

[DA] Didier, I do know what else is different this year.

dk 2012

dk 2013

[ galerie kreo ] The kreo Gallery was founded in 1999 by Didier and Clémence Krzentowski. It enjoys an international reputation especially for its limited objects and furniture created by leading designers editions, satisfying it’s founding goal of getting design closer to the public and providing a “space laboratory” dedicated to the research work of these designers. kreo’s first location settled in the 13th arrondissement of Paris in the middle of a group of avant-garde galleries, first rue Louise Weiss, then to a larger space on Duchefdelaville street. In 2008, the gallery moved to the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to 31 Rue Dauphine.

Design miami/basel 2011. Record numbers.

Jun 22, 2011

first time participants galerie ulrich fiedler, presenting work from bauhaus and de stijl movements.

Announces strongest sales to date attracting record number of acquisitions for private and public collections.

The sixth edition of Design Miami/ Basel saw a significant increase in sales and attendance throughout its five-day run in Basel, Switzerland June 14-18, 2011. Collectors, curators, critics, designers and enthusiasts from around the globe descended upon the fair to see stunning presentations of blue-chip historical and contemporary design, alongside new commissions from emerging designers.

In total, the fair drew a record 20,500 visitors from throughout Europe, North America, South America and Asia, including collectors Jil Sander, Naomi Campbell, Will Ferrell, Jean-Pierre Lehmann, Peter Brant, George Lindemann, Larry Gagosian, Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, Sir Norman Foster, Dasha Zukhova and Ulla Dreyfus-Best among many others. Numerous designers joined them to represent their work, including Aldo Bakker, Jurgen Bey, Ronan Bouroullec, Beatrice Brovia and Nicolas Cheng, Nacho Carbonell, Pierre Charpin, Formafantasma, Martino Gamper, Konstantin Grcic, Hella Jongerius, Arik Levy, Nicolas Le Moigne, Jerszy Seymour, Suzanne Tick as well as Catherine Prouvé and Marianne Panton of the respective estates.

Design Miami/ Basel’s audience of design devotees enthusiastically navigated the fair’s new layout, arranged in a “scatter” pattern by New York-based architects ArandaLasch. The arrangement embraced spatial eccentricities as a way to encourage guests to move about the show in an entirely new way. In addition, thousands of people from over 130 countries followed the unfolding of the show on the Design Miami/Basel blog.

“With this year’s fair, Design Miami/ Basel has once again demonstrated that it is the world’s most important destination for 20th- and 21st-century collectible design,” said Marianne Goebl, Director of Design Miami/. “The caliber of works shown in the gallery program combined with our strongest sales figures to date stand as a testament to the maturity and quality of this year’s show.”

First time participants Galerie Ulrich Fiedler, presenting work from Bauhaus and de Stijl movements, and Galerie Doria, specialized in work by the Union des Artistes Modernes, were enthusiastically received and complemented the early 20th century offering at the fair. Their sales include a Carlo Mollino chair for €100,000 and the Monofilio chair by Conti/Grassi/Forlani for €35,000 at Ulrich Fiedler and a table by Pierre Chareau for an undisclosed sum at Galerie Doria. Art Deco Galerie Anne- Sophie Duval from Paris sold a pair of Albert Giacometti wall scones and several pieces by Jean-Michel Frank for undisclosed amounts.

Going even further back in history, Paris-based Galerie Perrin (above) sold furniture developed for the Napoleonic campaigns, including a set of two chairs for €45,000 each and a day bed for €100,000.

Rare architectural structures by Jean Prouvé were also amongst the highlights of this year’s fair. Galerie Patrick Seguin (above) presented a museum-quality exhibition of Prouvé’s pre-fabricated structures, including a stunning design performance: a 6x6m demountable house from 1944 was mounted in front of the visitors every day of the fair, revealing the intelligence and beauty of the structure.

Seguin sold Prouvé‘s Salle a Manger, for €140,000 to an American collector and two stools by Pierre Jeanneret for €10,000 each to a collector from South America.

In a booth partially constructed from a schoolhouse designed by Jean Prouvé in 1957, the Paris-based gallery Jousse Entreprise (above) sold a Pierre Jeanneret table for €150,000 and a Charlotte Perriand table for €28,000.

Continuing the trend of strong sales for French design from the 1940s and 1950s, Galerie Downtown François Laffanour (above) sold a Jean Prouvé table and six chairs to a Swiss collector for €120,000, and Galerie Jacques Lacoste sold a Jean Royere Ours Polaire sofa, armchair and pouf for €750,000 to an American collector.

Solo shows allowed the visitors to gain deeper insights in the work of specific designers. New York-based gallery Demisch Danant (above) dedicated its presentation to the French post-war modernist Joseph André Motte and sold a pair of leather chairs (€26,000) as well as a pair of floor lamps for an undisclosed amount, amongst others.

Galerie kreo (above) from Paris sold a bench and console (€28,000 each) as well as a coffee table (€24,000), all from the newly commissioned solo show by Pierre Charpin. The gallery also sold the Frozen Cabinet by Studio Wieki Somers for €38,000 and Konstantin Grcic’s Monroe Champion for €36,000.

Within the first minutes of opening, Johnson Trading Gallery (above) sold two cast bronze tables ($20,000 each) to a US collector, as well as a chair ($35,000), pair of tables ($28,000) and vessel ($18,000) all part of the gallery’s Max Lamb solo show.

Design Miami/ Basel 2011 featured a high number of work with provenance from private and public commissions. Hostler Burrows (above) saw a number of strong sales including a chandelier by Pavo Tynell ($50,000) that was a commission for the Helsinki Stock Exchange. R 20th Century from New York City sold a private commission by Joaquim Tenreiro for an undisclosed sum, as well as a rare dresser by Greta Magnusson Grossman for $60,000.

Todd Merrill Twentieth Century (above) sold a number of pieces including a towering Harry Bertoia gong sculpture, originally commissioned for a Norwegian music hall, to a Chinese artist/collector for an undisclosed sum.

Exhibitors of the Design On/Site program, dedicated to solo shows of cutting-edge contemporary designers, will see their work go to institutional and private collections alike. Particles Gallery sold an Aldo Bakker stool to the Vitra Design Museum. The blankets of Formafantasma’s Colony series, presented by Gallery Libby Sellers (above), will be integrated in the permanent collection of the Dutch Textile Musem in Tilburg. And first-time participant Galerie Maria Wettergren received a number of site-specific commissions for Astrid Krogh’s high-tech textiles.

Freedom and Function: Jonathan Monk, Jürgen Mayer H., Piet Hein Eek, and Joseph Grima

In addition to the gallery program, a regular highlight for Design Miami/ Basel attendees is the fair’s Design Talks, which shed light on topics at the intersection of art, architecture and design. This year’s talks included “The Power of Patronage: Pushing Boundaries through Private Commissions” with participants Alexander S.C. Rower, Max Lamb and Felix Burrichter; “Freedom and Function: Diverse Approaches to Design” with Jonathan Monk, Jürgen Mayer H., Piet Hein Eek, and Joseph Grima; and “Designers of the Future: Conversation Pieces” with Asif Khan, studio juju, mischer’traxler and Joseph Grima.

The 2011 “W Hotels Designers of the Future Award” winners (above), Asif Khan/UK, studio juju/Singapore and mischer’traxler/Austria, stunned the visitors with their site-specific interventions, spanning from an artificial cloud to a tent-structure and a machine, which activated itself to produce a basket when shown attention by the visitors.

Sponsor exhibition highlights included the HSBC Connection Collection IV: Hella Jongerius’ “Daylight”, a new work by Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, commissioned especially for the fair; Swarovski Crystal Palace’s presentation of “Iris” by Fredrikson Stallard, a new collaboration with the London-based design studio; and “The Vitra Design Museum: Zoom: Italian Design and the Photography of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo,” an exhibition of the work of Milanese photographers Aldo Ballo and Marirosa Toscani Ballo.

Design Miami/ Basel confirmed once again that it is the only fair that can assemble the highest caliber of international design galleries for an audience of experienced as well as new collectors. With a unique presentation spanning collectible design from around the world, the June 2011 show proved to be the most successful in the show’s history.

about design miami/
Design Miami/ is the most prominent and substantive forum for collectible design, representing a convergence of commerce and culture. Its annual shows in Basel, Switzerland (June) and Miami, USA (December) bring together the most influential galleries, collectors, designers, critics and curators from around the world. [ details ]

Design Miami/ Basel is presented in partnership with HSBC Private Bank, whose dedication to innovative international design is an example of its emphasis on the value of connections. [ details ]

[ via design miami/ | @DesignMiamiBlog | facebook ] [ photography: james harris ]

Design Miami/ 2011 (in Miami) | 29 November – 4 December 2011 | VIP Opening 29 November 2011