This series, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth, unveils the backstage of contemporary creation. Tackling various topics from personal designer processes to the position of collectible design on the global design market, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth offers different views to suit all tastes. Today we speak with Noëmi Orgaer.

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COLLECTIBLE: What have you been up to recently? What are the next projects/exhibitions you wish to highlight? What are the next projects/exhibitions you wish to highlight?

Noëmi Orgaer : I recently completed the design of 'TANGO,' a cocktail bar in Antwerp, a project I did together with Cami Verborgh. Right now, I’m working on ‘The Menu’, a multibrand store that will open end of June. Other projects include scenography work, mostly fashion related. Alongside interior commissions, I continue to pursue self-initiated projects that result in collectible objects.

C: Who is your mentor and how he/she influenced your practice? 

NO: Before I started my own studio, I worked at Spatial Semiology in Seoul, founded by Giseok Kim, who remains an important mentor to me, we still exchange ideas on design. I think a lot about my time in Korea—it definitely influenced my work. Encountering such art movements as Mono-ha and Dansaekhwa, which set the city's scene, gave a generous source of influences. I also felt like a lot of people had a playful spirit when it came to creating, which is really important to me.

C: What do you think collectible design brings compared to other more massively produced pieces?

NO: Mass-produced items, tend to focus on consistency, a collectible piece embraces irregularity.

C: How do you position your city in the global design market, what makes your city unique, trends?

NO: To me, Brussels evokes a sense of nostalgia. There's always a fascinating balance between the ugly and the beautiful, making it an intriguing place to promenade and work from.