For the third edition of its fair, Collective Design will feature an international array of galleries presenting the best in 20th-century and contemporary collectible design alongside a diverse range of special installations by Jonathan Nesci, Dana Barnes, Liz Collins, and InSek/ Ashira Israel, among others. The fair will run from May 13 through 17, 2015 at its new location, Skylight Clarkson Sq in West Soho, as part of NYCxDESIGN, and will showcase established and emerging artists and designers from New York, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, and many other creative capitals. Among the notable names to be featured at the 2015 fair are Nordic modernist Kaare Klint (Modernity, Stockholm), dynamic German newcomer Valentin Loellmann (Galerie Gosserez, Paris), and revered California enamelist June Schwarcz (De Vera, New York).

Collective Design is committed to presenting a carefully curated selection of works that speak to creative ingenuity and aesthetic quality across material, style, and technique. Among the notable projects to be featured at this year’s fair are a hand-crafted, organic lighting element by Israeli artist Ayala Serfaty (Maison Gerard, New York); ornate mirrors inspired by Lolita from Beth Katleman (Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary, New York); and bronze sculptural forms by fashion designer Rogan Gregory (R & Company, New York).

Collective Design is also pleased to announce a collaboration with Sight Unseen OFFSITE for the 2015 fair. Organized by Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer, editors of the influential online magazine Sight Unseen, OFFSITE is an annual curated exhibition that showcases the most directional, cutting-edge ideas in contemporary furniture design. Sight Unseen OFFSITE focuses on the best independent design studios and the brightest American talents, and is among New York design week’s must-see destinations. Collective Design will present a Sight Unseen OFFSITE satellite show at Skylight Clarkson Sq, which will highlight the work of several up-and-coming designers. The collaboration underscores Collective Design’s commitment to showcasing the full spectrum of design talent from the start of the 20th century to today, providing audiences with the opportunity to experience the latest in design innovation from the next big names in the field.

“The presentations at this year’s fair are the most diverse and compelling in our young history. Our featured galleries will offer premier examples of vintage and contemporary material and feature an eclectic mix of well-known and emerging designers. Given our ongoing engagement with the design community, we have the opportunity to present several unique, commissioned installations for our third edition,” said Steven Learner, founder and creative director of Collective Design. “A sense of discovery is key to the experience of our fair. From our new location at Skylight Clarkson Sq to our open plan and multiple installations, our vision is to create a unique experience for every visitor that will inspire them to engage with and invest in the incredible objects on view.”

Additional exhibitors participating in Collective Design’s 2015 fair include: Twenty First Gallery (New York); Etage Projects (Copenhagen); Fuglen (Oslo); ADN Galería (Mexico City); Galerie Negropontes (Paris); Gallery BAC (New York); Gallery Loupe (Montclair, NJ); Garrido Gallery (Madrid); J. Lohmann Gallery (New York); kinder MODERN (New York); Ornamentum (Hudson, NY); Patrick Parrish (New York); ProjectB (Milan); Sienna Patti (Dalton, MA); Vance Trimble (New York); and Wexler Gallery (Philadelphia). A comprehensive list of exhibitors follows.

Several internationally acclaimed designers and brands are organizing special installations to be featured in this year’s fair. Among the highlights are:
Jonathan Nesci – With Present Perimeter, Nesci has developed a design framework that combines equal numbers of hexagons, half-hexagons, rhombuses, and triangles. The rigorous method will result in the creation of a series of mirrors produced specifically for Collective Design’s fair and in conjunction with a parallel solo exhibition at Patrick Parrish, New York.

Dana Barnes – Following her 2013 installation for Collective Design—SWASH, a series of suspended woven-fiber seats—Dana Barnes will return to the 2015 edition of the fair with new work that continues her explorations of textural compositions, infusing innovative materials into sculptural forms.

Design da Gema – Brazilian artist and designer David Elia, founder of Design da Gema studio, will create a special installation for the fair’s café inspired by his surroundings in modern-day Brazil. The presentation will use furniture design to explore the epidemic of violent crime occurring within the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Collective Design also remains dedicated to revealing the creative process, as well as the material culture, of design. For this year’s fair the American Design Club, which promotes the efforts of young American designers worldwide, has been invited to present the work of two contemporary designers who will produce work onsite, allowing visitors to engage in the making of design.

Liz Collins – The New York-based artist and textile designer will create a woven tapestry installation that places art and applied design in conversation with each other. This performance installation invites audiences into the process, and will be created live during the run of the fair.

InSek/ Ashira Israel – The Brooklyn-based studio InSek will present an installation by Ashira Israel that explores the intersection of architecture, art, and design. The presentation will encompass two spaces: a lab-like environment and a larger space that functions as a type of archaeological site.

Each year, Collective Design’s Focus presentation features influential design from a particular country or region. In 2015 the special presentation will highlight the enduring impact of Italian design on artists and designers from across the globe, and will feature objects from Memphis-Post Design Gallery (Milan), Donzella (New York), Nicholas Kilner (New York), and Glass Past (New York). Stefano Tonchi, editor-in-chief of W magazine, will curate the Collective Focus: Italy exhibition. Tonchi will collaborate on the installation, contribute a curatorial statement to the 2015 fair guide, and participate in Collective Conversations, a series of panel discussions in which design leaders share their insights on the field.

Additionally, Collective Design announces new sponsors for the 2015 fair, including Design Sponsor Calvin Klein Home and Official Hotel Partner Hôtel Americano. These sponsors will join the roster of internationally-acclaimed brands supporting this year’s fair, including: Media Partner ELLE Decor; Exclusive Automotive Sponsor Cadillac; Exclusive Online Partner Artsy; Design Partners Benjamin Moore, LALIQUE, and Nanz; Media Supporters Cultured, Metropolis, and Surface; and Additional Partners Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers, Dutch Culture USA, Hedley’s Inc., Instituto Italiano di Cultura, Monadnock, Perrier, Shinola Detroit, Sight Unseen OFFSITE, Skylight Clarkson Sq, Space I Design + Production, Turon Travel, and UBER.

2015 List of Exhibitiors

ADN Galería, Mexico City
Ammann // Gallery, Cologne
BAC, New York
De Vera, New York
Donzella, New York
Etage Projects, Copenhagen
Fuglen, Oslo
Friedman Benda, New York
Galerie Gosserez, Paris
Galerie Negropontes, Paris
Gallery Loupe, Montclair, NJ
Garrido Gallery, Madrid
Glass Past, New York
J. Lohmann Gallery, New York
kinder MODERN, New York
LMD/Studio, Chicago
Maison Gerard, New York
Memphis-Post Design Gallery, Milan
Modernity, Stockholm
Nicholas Kilner, New York
Ornamentum, Hudson, NY
Patrick Parrish, New York
ProjectB, Milan
R & Company, New York
Sienna Patti, Dalton, MA
Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary, New York
Twenty First Gallery, New York
Vance Trimble, New York
Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia