SaloneSatellite, Salone del Mobile’s exhibition for young designers, celebrated its 17th year this month. It has long served as a platform for innovative work by up-and-coming international designers with the belief that the future of good design must be nurtured. Thousands of applicants enter to be part of the exhibition, and from within the group selected to exhibit, the Design Report Award recognizes a newcomer demonstrating particular promise and innovative thinking.
The winners of the award go on to find success having had a platform to share their designs. Last year’s winner, Poetic Lab, was back in Milan showing a new iteration of their Ripple light, which is now in production. The piece captivated viewers yet again with its ode to a game of lights and shadows.
The competition strives to nurture designers and promote the continuous efforts of worldwide design development and intellectual approach. It’s the reason the first prize isn’t the only recognition given during the judging, as special mentions also show great promise. The young designers blend elegance and practicality, while concentrating on environmentally conscious design solutions.
Having long believed in the revolutionary power of young talent, Luminaire has served as the sole US sponsor of the Design Report Awards for the past 15 years. Co-founder and President of Luminaire, Nasir Kassamali, was himself an inaugural juror along with other prominent design luminaries including Ross Lovegrove, Konstantin Grcic,and Matali Crasset.
Since its inception, the award has launched the careers of many young artists exposing them to the international scene. Following her win in 2010, Nao Tamura went on to have her Seasons plates produced by Covo as well as participate in designing a special 80th anniversary edition of Artek’s iconic Stool 60. Luminaire hosted Tamura twice, most recently as part of Design Miami in 2013 showcasing her Flow(t) chandelier inspired by Venetian lagoons.
Luminaire’s ongoing support of the Design Report Award will help this year’s winner fund new projects and attain the publicity they deserve. This year’s winners, Sarha Duquesne and Levi Dethier, united their expertise in industrial design and fashion to create a sleek line of office and furniture offerings that allow “the simplicity of construction” to enhance “the graphic quality of its materials.”
This year the international panel of jurors included designer Jurgen Bey from the Netherlands, from Italy Marco Dessí, Ludovica Palomba and Timo Salli, Yael Mer from Israel, Carola Zwick from Germany, and chairman Lars Quadejacob, editor-in-chief of Design Report. Luminaire continues to be the only American sponsor, since the inauguration of the awards program, still committed to providing the best of new talent to the design world.
April 2014
