Each week, Kristen de La Vallière, design curator, editor and founder of say hi to_, asks three questions to our participants. Today Kristen talks with Alexis Ryngaert founder of Victor Hunt. Dealer.

Back to Editorial

Kristen de la Vallière: 2020-2021 has been full of changes for the contemporary art and furniture industry. We often focus on the negatives of those, but we think it could be a very exciting time to see all of the positive changes it may have brought about. What do you think the future of collecting and exhibitions looks like?

Alexis Ryngaert: Whilst we’ll always advocate change as a good thing, radical and sudden change seem less so it is hard to consider this period as an “exciting time” given the difficulties and grieve many have been subjected and being inseparable from what is happening around us..

However, we are going to have to deal with this period and ensure to learn the lesson by accepting and embracing a more local, less global and more digital aftermath. It is important to realize the flaws to the order that leads us to the current crisis, such as for example cheap global mobility, transport and what, not other ludicris we should not repeat in order to reach a balanced system and enable a more sustainable future

Hence if we see any advantage it is in being forced to develop new technologies and strategies, new skills altogether, in order to reach this global audience by rethinking the approach to an ‘exhibition’ or how to reach audiences without physically relocating continuously.

“ Educate yourself, watch things, read stuff, raise questions, meet gallerists, designers and other collectors, again and again.”

KdlV: What advice would you give to those looking to start their functional art collection?

AR: Functional art, designart, collectible design, or whatever the name, there is one simple plan but you have to worry later about the fact if what you just bought is collectible or not. In any case, to our opinion when you start a collection of contemporary design it’s important to support and believe in emerging designers, only with support they can evolve and grow further in their creative process and the public view.

- Educate yourself, watch things, read stuff, raise questions, meet gallerists, designers and other

collectors, again and again.

- If you see something you like, think it is worth to you the price asked for it, buy it.

- Repeat 1 & 2 until you don’t have the space or money anymore.

- Spend a good 10 years with the stuff you liked before seeing where that lead you to.

KdlV: How are events like COLLECTIBLE important for functional artists, galleries and collectors?

AR: Events like Collectible offer the opportunity to gather a community, allowing gallerists and designers to share their views or work and to engage in discussions with collectors, make sales and to expand their collections. This year has shown us that connecting, sharing and supporting each other are values we can no longer take for granted and that events like Collectible keep the creativity and sharing of creativity going.

About Victor Hunt. Dealer. (Belgium)

Victor Hunt. Dealer. focusses on the search for, creation, and sale of limited editions by today’s most remarkable emerging and established designers, operating as a platform for development supported by an international exhibition programme. Since Victor Hunt's inception in 2008, the collection has grown across all object typologies, representing a carefully curated collection of cutting-edge contemporary design.