Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary at Collective Design 2015. Photo by Clemes Kois.
Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary at Collective Design 2015. Photo by Clemes Kois.
Beth Katleman
Beth Katleman, The Enchanted Hunters and the Narcotic Dream, USA, 2015
Todd Merrill Studio
SOLD
Molly Hatch
Aspire: After Meissen, USA, 2015
Todd Merrill Studio
Shari Mendelson
Blue and Silver Vessel, 2014
Todd Merrill Studio
By Wava Carpenter and Anna Carnick | May 19, 2015
Collectiveโs very name captures an essential spirit that sets this New York design fair apart from its rivals in Miami, Basel, London, and Paris. As the third edition wrapped up we chased down the showโs 29 international exhibitors to get a read on this yearโs success.
Without fail, all were quick to congratulate the man behind Collectiveโmuch beloved architect-turned-fair director Steven Learnerโon his ability to create a dynamic space that supports design culture and commerce. Itโs proved to be an outlet with a sense of community that, many note, New York design has long needed.
Working in tandem with a team of equally respected organizers and advisors (including Caroline Baumann of the Cooper Hewitt, gallerist Cristina Grajales, and guest curator and W Editor-in-Chief Stefano Tonchi, among others), Learner complemented this yearโs varied gallery presentations with an ambitious program of talks, tours, and special exhibitions, all seemingly designed to align the fair with an esteemed roster of interior designers and architects to help draw in the โrightโ sort of crowdโand, subsequently, sales.
According to Learner, that plan paid off. โThis has been the most successful year for Collective Design to date,โ he said. โWe broke our record by welcoming more than 10,000 visitors, including designers, architects, collectors, curatorsโand the design-loving public.โ
The 2015 Collective made its home in its third location in as many years, inside the industrially hued Skylight Clarkson Square in west SoHo. While reviews of the new venue variedโsome called the layout slightly โconvolutedโ or โa little complicatedโโmost were quite positive about the fresh, white-cube-like setting, which provided a sense of cohesion to an otherwise eclectic presentation. Cologne-based gallerist Gabrielle Ammann noted: โThe venue is fantastic. Itโs not like a typical fair, with one booth after another; itโs more like a design village. Itโs very charming, and clients loved it.โ Zesty Meyers, cofounder of New Yorkโs R & Company, concurred, crediting the successful layout to Learnerโs great eye: โThatโs his genius.โ
Similarly, impressions were generally optimistic regarding attendees. Several gallerists we spoke with reported interactions with high-end professionalsโart advisors, architects, and several interior designers, including Brad Ford, Jamie Drake, and Ryan Lawsonโalongside a more casual design-loving crowd. As New Yorkโs Patrick Parrish put it, โI saw everyone from students to amazing interior designers to billionaire collectors.โ Anya Firestone, director of Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary, agreed, noting she had her own โfruitfulโ conversations with representatives of major art and design institutions, who were attracted to contemporary works by artists like Beth Katleman, Molly Hatch, and Shari Mendelson, all of whom reference historical decorative arts forms and techniques in their current practices.
Collective, of course, was just one of dozens of events scheduled over the last week in New York, which was seen as a pro or a con, depending on whom you asked. Some exhibitors worried that potential buyers had too many options and were โforced to choose,โ not always in favor of the design fair. Others, like Todd Merrill, felt that โturnout was stronger than ever.โ He went on: โWith the busyness of Frieze and Design Week, we saw quite a range of visitors; not just collectors and decorators, but curators and academics.โ
Sherri Apter Wexler, co-owner of Philadelphiaโs contemporary Wexler Gallery, added: โWeโve been [at Collective] since the beginning, and every year, itโs gained momentum; more galleries, more energy.โ Her take on this yearโs audience? โItโs a very different crowd than you get at the Armory uptown for Salon, for example. Itโs a different cross-section of Manhattan.โ
Perhaps the cooler, downtown location was ideal for the strong showing of contemporary design, which made up the majority of the work on view. Wexlerโs own roster included a knockout pair of delicate, bronze and brass Flor Chair (2015) by Israeli designer Sharon Sides (both sold for $9,200 each, and are part of a limited edition of 12 that Wexlerโs camp anticipates will sell out shortly), as well as elegant tables by French-born, Hudson, NY-based Alex Roskin, and several porcelain pieces by artist and social activist Roberto Lugo (all of which sold), among others.
Lily Kane, director of exhibitions and publications for R & Company, reported โsales for almost every artist we brought to the fair, with Rogan Gregory, Thaddeus Wolfe, and Jeff Zimmermanโs works doing especially well.โ She added, โBoth Thaddeus Wolfe and Jeff Zimmerman works sold to interior designers and private clients between $10,000 and $25,000.โ
Maison Gerard, which has in recent years embarked on a fervent program of contemporary design following years of specialization in Art Deco, fared well with multiple sales, including Vittoria Chair (2014) by Achille Salvagni (asking price $21,000), Wave Console (2012) by Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman (asking price $80,000), and Ayala Serfatyโs Entudia, 2015: Soma light sculpture (2015) illuminated wall installation (asking price $265,000).
Other standouts included kinder MODERNโs childrenโs furniture booth, featuring joyful designs like Material Lustโs new โFictional Furnitureโ collection and the head-turning yellow Chicken Desk (2015) by Guillamit ($16,000). According to co-owner Lora Appleton, โThe Sheep and Bambi chairs from Elements Optimal/Takeshi Sawada [which go for $400 each] were flying off the shelves!โ Similarly, ceramics were a hit this year; Patrick Parrish sold a whopping 30 sculptures by American designer Cody Hoyt (his bold ceramics range from $400 to $5,500) and J. Lohmann also had success with a trio of Danish ceramicists: Merete Rasmussen (whose works ranged from $14,000-$16,000); Lone Skov Madsen ($2,800-$4,500), and Sandra Davolio ($7,000-$12,0000). And French galleries Gosserez and Maison Parisienne teamed up for their first showing in New York; the pair reported enjoying โa lot of success with our Mono Light installation (2015) from Os & Oos, the wonderful textile sculptures from Simone Pheulpin, and our unique ceramic rug by Raphael & Rรฉjean.โ
And the rewards werenโt just financial either; Paul Donzella told us he was personally gratified to see the work he so lovesโvintage Fontana Arteโgenerate a buzz. โItโs been kind of funny,โ he explains. โIโve sold a table, that pair of mirrors, this mirror, a table lamp. Those arenโt the only sales, but itโs been very Fontana Arte heavy, which is nice because itโs been a great interest of mine now for a number of years. And the longer Iโm exploring the work, the better pieces Iโm finding. So itโs exciting to see that Iโm not the only one.โ Though not everyone laid claim to confirmed sales, nearly all dealers on hand expressed confidence that the coming weeks or even months would bear further results as clients continue to contemplate the diverse offering.
