Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/32301
Going Goebl We sit down with Design Miami/’s new director Marianne Goebl to discuss the fair’s future, life in Miami and what’s new in Basel. BY TALI JAFFE What part of your new role as director are you enjoying most? I truly enjoy having direct access to this broad spectrum of exceptional de- sign work and to the very diverse people passionately involved in our field, the designers, gallerists, sponsoring partners, curators and critics. How would you compare living in Miami to Basel? What strikes me most about Miami is the generosity of this city, both in terms of geographical dimensions and mentality. As different as the two cities are in most respects, they are both situated at the intersection of dif- ferent cultures and have successfully absorbed diverse influences into their respective identities. Maybe this is exactly what predetermined them as ideal locations for an international forum like Design Miami/. Design Miami/ has established itself as the leading fair for collectible de- sign. In what ways will you help to sustain that momentum? I feel very privileged to join the fair at this mature stage and contribute to its future development. Design Miami/ is the only fair to present its visitors with a journey through the entire design history: from rare historic gems to the latest contemporary experiments. This year, we further strengthen the historic segment with the arrival of new galleries specialized in early 20th century design. The juxtaposition of the his- toric work with current design explorations will illustrate the avant-garde influ- ence on material culture, and how the experiment of today becomes the classic of tomorrow. What are some of the new elements at this summer’s fair? This year in Basel, visitors will be surprised by imaginative presentations in- cluding curated period rooms and a design performance, which demon- strates the beauty and intelligence of a large-scale architectural structure by setting it up in front of the audience every day of the fair. We will also have a number of solo shows presenting never-before-seen work, which will allow the visitors to gain a true insight into the world of a specific designer. Where do you see Design Miami/ in five years? In five years, design will be collected by a substantially larger group of en- thusiasts from all over the world, including private, institutional and corpo- rate collectors. Design Miami/ will still be the not-to-be-missed rendezvous to discover the most sought-after historic and contemporary works and to encounter the leading protagonists of the field of design. Do you think we’ve passed the point of qualifying design in relation to art? Design is a creative discipline of its own right. It has always co-existed and intersected with other related fields like the visual arts and architecture. 24 CULTURED The designer—as opposed to the artist who works autonomously—engages in solving concrete problems while developing his own strategy. I consider designing a very complex process and do not think that its results should be put in any hierarchical order in respect to a mere artistic approach. Do you think design collectors are as concerned with the resale value of a piece, or do you think functionality plays a larger role in its value? The strategy behind a collection is obviously driven by the very personal mo- tivation of the collector. Apart from functional and economic aspects, the choice can be based on aesthetic or practical criteria, depending on whether the design collectors decide to actually live with the acquired pieces. Would you like to expand the fair to a third location? Which city or region do you think is of greatest interest now? We do not have any immediate expansion plans. We congratulate our partner fair Art Basel on the recent developments and their mid-term plans for a third platform in Hong Kong. This will give Design Miami/ a wonderful op- portunity to deepen our understanding of the Asian market and assess pos- sible opportunities for our show and our industry. Design Miami/ announces its Designers of the Future award winners dur- ing Salone del Mobile. Do you think it’s important for the fair to have a di- alog with the commercial design industry? The fields of collectible and industrial design are interwoven. Many players, especially the leading contemporary designers, are active in both fields. A dialog between the two is thus inevitable and reciprocally beneficial. The W Hotels Designers of the Future Award aims to recognize and support prom- ising talents at the beginning of their career. The Salone del Mobile in Milan is an ideal moment to announce the award winners and introduce them to a large audience of design professionals. Their special commissions, devel- oped for the award, are unveiled at Design Miami/Basel where their work can be discovered and discussed by the fair’s exceptional audience of design enthusiasts, collectors, gallerists, museum representatives and critics. What area of the fair do you see as having the greatest room for growth? We are proud to represent the leading international design galleries, who exhibit the most sought-after objects from 30 nations. This outstanding level of quality of the presented material is our foremost concern. We will thus grow the gallery roster only very carefully and in line with the fair’s strict se- lection criteria. We do however see the potential to introduce collectible de- sign to a larger audience of private and institutional collectors as well as design professionals.