Today, we are delighted to share our conversation with TABLEAU, a Copenhagen-based multidisciplinary design studio, to develop the main areas of the fair. We asked Julius Værnes Iversen, the founder of TABLEAU, and his team about their vision for the scenography of the upcoming COLLECTIBLE 2024, and how the set design contributes to the viewers and exhibitors experience. 

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COLLECTIBLE: How would you describe your approach to set design? What are the milestones of your style that we will see at COLLECTIBLE? 

TABLEAU: At TABLEAU, our focus is on crafting immersive spaces, objects, and set designs infused with compelling narratives. We strive to weave storytelling into every project, aiming to curate meaningful experiences for those who interact with our work. When it comes to COLLECTIBLE, our goal is to deliver an extraordinarily memorable experience for visitors. Instilling emotions in people is a fundamental aspect of TABLEAU's work and one of our core design values.

C: What is your vision regarding the dialogue between exhibitors and visitors? Do you believe that set design can help create an environment where both parties feel welcomed and well-presented?

T: We believe that inclusivity and emotional connection is essential for good design and functional art. Usually, our work stands out from the crowd and attracts attention, for a couple of reasons. We almost always work with juxtaposed and contrast filled materials, colors and shapes, and this often results in things that are unusual. We also have a strong focus on the experience of the space, the tactility, the bodily attraction and the narrative behind. When combined, you get set design that works as an attractor, instead of something that would compete with the exhibited works, and compared to a more traditional set design, we like to think of it as an invitation to an experience that we offer the visitor.

C: What do you consider the main challenge in devising a scenography that aligns with the curatorial statement and the selected objects? How do you approach this challenge in your creative process?

ASC: Collectible design, or functional art, is a growing yet often overlooked niche within the art and design world. So, for a creative studio like ours that specialize in this area, it’s incredible to find a space where like minded individuals, galleries, artists, and designers from all over the world can meet and inspire each other. On top of that, COLLECTIBLE always delivers incredibly high standards, where you can expect galleries to present meticulously curated objects, always maintaining a consistently high standard in their selections.