Marco Campardo wins Design Museum’s emerging designer prize

London-based Italian designer Marco Campardo is the winner of the Design Museum’s second edition of The Ralph Saltzman Prize, an annual award for emerging designers. As part of the prize, Campardo is being awarded a £5,000 bursary, while the museum will present his work through a solo exhibition from 2 February until 3 April 2023.

The award was established in 2022, when it was won by British designer Mac Collins. Created as a legacy to Ralph Saltzman, it became a way to offer emerging designers an opportunity to expand their work and reach, through a financial contribution and the exposure of an exhibition. Ralph Saltzman was the co-founder and chairman of Designtex, and through his company, he championed many innovations in design and sustainability. 

Marco Campardo: Ralph Saltzman Prize winner 2023

‘Marco is a fitting winner of the prize: his work is very of the moment and visually arresting,’ says Lisa Saltzman, Ralph Saltzman’s daughter and the force behind the award’s establishment. ‘He is using a lot of waste material and showing a clear sustainability narrative. His idea of reusing and the focus on sustainability is utterly compelling. This is something my father was doing over 20 years ago, so he is continuing that legacy.’

Campardo is best known for his ‘Jello’ series of furniture, part of a solo exhibition at design gallery Riviera, curated by Simpleflair and shown during Fuorisalone 2022. The exhibition, the designer noted, ‘explored the ways in which objects can be generated by shaping systems of production and making, rather than focusing on individual form-giving’. Made of UV-resistant polyurethane resin in a series of bright hues, the simple shapes of the designs were achieved with a low-tech mould, leaving traces of the process on the final object.

But Campardo’s material reach also includes furniture made of reclaimed Alpi wood, safety glass, brass, and, most recently, expanded clay and sugar, for Selfridges’ 'Visions for the Future’. Campardo was nominated by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, the award’s shortlist being put together by five established designers and studios.

‘I am extremely honoured to have received The Ralph Saltzman Prize,’ comments Campardo. ‘Having moved to London from Italy and set up my practice in 2019, the fact my work has been recognised by the judging panel is extremely humbling, as well as an encouragement for the future development of my work. The fact that the Design Museum has decided to reward work that is often speculative and sits somewhat outside the canon of industrial design is perhaps a testament to the richness of the contemporary design landscape. I would also like to thank Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for nominating me for this prize, giving me this unexpected but incredibly exciting opportunity to showcase my work to the wider public, and to Lisa Saltzman for making it all possible.’

Concludes Justin McGuirk, chair of judges for The Ralph Saltzman Prize, and chief curator at the Design Museum: ‘We are delighted that Marco has won this year’s Saltzman Prize. His practice spans an impressively diverse range of approaches, including inventive uses for waste materials. The way he creates small-scale versions of industrial processes is particularly intriguing. Whatever his process, the outcomes are always alluring.’

The exhibition of Marco Campardo's work will be on show from 2 February until 3 April 2023.

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