Collective Design Fair launches in New York
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Just as design aficionados are beginning to recover from the onslaught of the Milan Furniture Fair, this week sees the launch of another design show, Collective Design Fair (opens in new tab), in New York City. Slotting in right before Frieze New York (opens in new tab) and the city's design stalwart International Contemporary Furniture Fair (opens in new tab) a week later, Collective proffers to be its most eclectic, with an international mix of vintage and contemporary design under its roof.
The show's inaugural edition has pitched up within Pier 57, an industrial space conveniently located near Manhattan's Meatpacking District and the Hudson River Park. Founded by architect/designer Steven Learner, the curated fair hosts 25 exhibitors from around the world offering largely limited edition works. Together with a group of designers, curators, gallerists and collectors, the show is conceived as a commercial and educational platform that will appeal to both design veterans and newcomers.
'The key word here is inclusivity,' said Lerner at the show's opening. 'We really wanted a diverse mix of names, from the usual people to more up-and-coming galleries, to stand side-by-side. We've got glass, jewellery and mid-century furniture pieces. There's really a little bit of everything.'
Collective Design Fair touts itself as a medium for discovery and it certainly brings a freshness to New York's design landscape. For starters, the choice of venue serves as a wonderful, design-forward backdrop that even had the exhibitors excited. Zesty Meyers, principal of R 20th Century (opens in new tab), said, 'You can really see that there is a design focus here. The contrast of the industrial space with the refined pieces just really helps each stand sparkle and jump out.'
The show's content is just as impressive. In addition to the country's leading design galleries, the fair has roped in exhibitors from Stockholm, Johannesburg, Paris and further afield. The overall mix is varied, with R 20th Century honing in on the mid-century designs of Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler for the Brazilian furniture company Forma, Philadelphia's Wexler Gallery (opens in new tab) pushing the value of American designed and made glassware and Stockholm's Modernity (opens in new tab) gallery bringing work from lesser-known Swedish designers to the fore. Kinder Modern (opens in new tab), an American company specializing in vintage and new children's furniture, also caught us off-guard with its sophisticated offerings for young ages.
Besides this, Collective also pays homage to one New Yorker, Gaetano Pesce (opens in new tab), with an installation of studio and personal archive pieces fitted right at the entrance of the fair. Showcasing work over the course of the last 25 years, the special exhibition presents Pesce's multidisciplinary approach as a source of creative inspiration that will touch current design fanatics and also those to come.
David Trubridge's 'Baskets of Knowledge, Kuta Tuaatea', 2009, are hand-sanded plastic shrouds covered in bamboo, aluminum and polycarbonate. They are presented by Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia
The industrial interior of Manhattan's Pier 57, located along the West Side Highway, serves as the perfect foil to the designs it showcases. Pictured is 'Swash' installation by Dara Barnes
A child's desk and chair by Lucas Maassen and Sons at Kinder Modern
Other Kinder Modern finds includes these 'Tomotom' chairs by Bernard Holdaway for Hull Trading, 1966
Kinder Modern also found this child's chair, dating back to the 1930s, at a sale in Detroit. The designer is unknown
A child-sized dose of Memphis flavour, courtesy of the Los Angeles-based AQQ Design for Kinder Modern
Cristina Grajales Gallery is presenting a stunning glass-topped coffee table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
'Piano' shelves, 2007, by Sebastian Errazuriz at Cristina Grajales Gallery
One of the major talking points, Sebastian Errazuriz's 'Blow Me', 2013, brings new meaning to the idea of being blown away
Brass and blown glass sconces, 2011, by John-Paul Philippe at Cristina Grajales Gallery
Glass sculptures by Philip Low at Grey Area
'The Concrete Chair' 1981, by architect Jonas Bholin and 'PK12' chair by Poul Kjærholm on the Modernity stand
The fair plays host to a rare presentation of Gaetano Pesce's work. Spanning sketches, maquettes and finished pieces selected from Pesce's studio and personal archives, the installation is a tribute to the veteran designer's modus operandi.
A sketch for 'Up in Dress', by Gaetano Pesce
Pesce's finished product, 'Up Armchair in Dress', 2007
Beautiful Pesce sketches for Hubin's House Project, 1987-88
Among other works, Philadelphia's Wexler Gallery presents 'Low Rider' chair, 2013, by Vivien Beer, which has been crafted from steel and cast concrete
Also on the Wexler Gallery stand: 'Rimple', 2013, by Daniel Clayman, which is made from cast glass and stippled with copper
Mark Peiser's 'Afternoon Ending', 1990, sitting atop Timothy Schreiber's 'Chrome 8 Tables', 2012 at Wexler Gallery
Chicago's Volume Gallery has brought along Ro/Lu's 'Objects for Creating One's Own Interior Cosmos', a functional sculpture made from Maplewood
Leather 'Sled' chair, 1970, by Ward Bennett, shown by Mondo Cane
Another Mondo Cane gem: a Constructivist table lamp from an unknown American designer, 1970s
R 20th Century is presenting a wide selection of beautiful objects including this stacking tower of inlaid wood and acrylic boxes, 'Ziggurat Tower' by Oeffice
Several glazed ceramic boxes by South Korean artist, Hun-Chung Lee, at R 20th Century
R 20th Century is also shining a special spotlight on the work of Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler for the Brazilian furniture company, Forma, from the 1950s
Among other vintage gems at Mark McDonald Gallery are these Saarinen nesting tables from the 1940s...
... and a 1984 chaise by Richard Meier, produced by Knoll. This is a rare beige version - it was largely produced in black
Johannes Gallery is showing several new vases by Turi Heisselberg, such as these 'Baluster Vases I', 2013
The Brooklyn-based gallery Grey Area is presenting these silver and steel hanging sculptures, 'Time Past and Time Future' by Lilah Fowler
3D-printed jewellery pieces painted in gold leaf by Rachel Timmins, spotted at Sienna Patti Contemporary's stand
Nicholas Kilner is paying homage to the work of Ico and Luisa Parisi with a stand filled with their pieces, such as this sofa from 1958 and the eyeball statue
'Golden Variation' console by Jonathan Nesci in brass and wenge on show at Chicago's Casati gallery
Pei-Ru Keh is the US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru has held various titles at Wallpaper* since she joined in 2007. She currently reports on design, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru has taken a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars and actively seeks out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
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