Private view: Héctor Serrano
![’Air stool’](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NHAvd4kLw7AGkcERaHyn4M-415-80.jpg)
The spotlight was first thrown on the Spanish designer while he was still a student at London's Royal College of Art. His 'Superpatata' - a range of squishy lights with bulbs embedded in brightly coloured latex balloons - scored him the Peugeot Design Award 2000 and were quickly snapped up by Droog.
Serrano has since collaborated with the likes of Gandia Blasco and Moooi, and his studio's practices include, product design, space design and laboratory work.
When did you first visit Salone?
A long time ago. I think in 1998.
How has it changed since then?
It's got bigger and more diverse but, for me, the general sensation is still the same.
What's the best thing about it in your opinion?
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Meeting people that I haven't seen in ages and seeing unexpected and interesting things.
And the worst?
The overflow of information.
What are you showing this year?
New products for Gandia Blasco.
Talk us through your thoughts behind the collection.
'Air stool' is an outdoor/indoor stool made of rotational moulding, with a continuous triangle section that makes it very light and hollow, visually. It's a simple and unobtrusive design to blend with the context and comes in four different colours.
How far in advance do you start planning each show?
One or two years. We're already working on three products for next Salone.
Is it possible to gauge people's reactions whilst you're at the fair?
I think it is possible to see first reactions but then time needs to pass by to really see what has been truly successful or relevant. The most amusing reaction people have had to my work was when I showed my superpatata light in the droog showroom. People did not know what it was or how it was made!
Do you have a chance to see much yourself during Salone?
Yes. All our products are presented by the companies we work for so we have plenty of time to see what's going on. I always make sure I get to Superstudio Più for new and unexpected shows.
Has there been one single moment that sticks in your mind as definitive of what Salone is all about?
Héctor Serrano
’Air stool’ by Héctor Serrano for Gandia Blasco
’Air stool’ by Héctor Serrano for Gandia Blasco
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
Take off: Mathieu Lehanneur's Olympic Cauldron rises into the Parisian night sky
The Paris 2024 Olympics’ opening ceremony was closed with a soaring cauldron spectacle that will go down in history
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Phaidon’s new Graphic Classics is a lavish greatest hits of graphic design
Graphic Classics is a compendium of seven centuries of visual culture, from the everyday and ephemeral to visionary works that reshaped our world
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Birley Chocolate hits the sweet ’n’ chic spot in London’s Chelsea
The new Birley Chocolate shop, a sibling to Birley Bakery, is a confection of colour as delicious as its finely crafted goods
By Melina Keays Published