This new series, Design bites, unveil the backstage of contemporary creation. Tackling various topics from personal designer processes to the position of Collectible design on the global design market; these bites offer different views to suit all tastes. Today we talk with the architect, educator, and maker Vanja Bazdulj founder of House on Mars Gallery.

Back to Editorial

COLLECTIBLE: How did you get into collectible design? Why did you start your gallery?

Vanja Bazdulj: Part of the reason for opening House on Mars gallery was wanting to transport myself and potential clients into a different time and space. These slow-made ingenious pieces are a combination of relics of a forgotten slower time as well as vessels that can transform our worlds. I want to elevate the idea of ‘design’ - it’s such a broad term encompassing so many different fields, from industrial design to craft. There’s a whole other world of ‘functional art’ to be discovered and most people are not really aware of it.

“Why is this relevant now? Who is it for? How to demonstrate its qualities best? Of course, it has been incredibly hard in the past year, without actual visitors. However, the principle stays the same.”

C: Can you talk about the designers you present for COLLECTIBLE SALON, what makes their practice/pieces unique

VB: With every House On Mars showcase we select a mixture of undiscovered, raw talent, alongside an already established cohort of artists and designers. For COLLECTIBLE the pieces all have a certain quirk in common, a twist in the way they use material, and play with form and function. I look for things that intrigue me, that make me curious, or give me a nice, fuzzy feeling in my belly! From a large soft upholstered fully functional ‘Fat ladder’ by Lambert Kamps to Silvia Weidenbach’s striking 3D printed and sculpted fine jewellery brooches and pins. These designers are staying true to a ‘handmade’ making tradition while using specialist tools as extensions of their limbs.

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

VB: I am currently keen to expand our range into holding more jewellery and precious materials, always looking for those interesting production methods and a hint of ‘strangeness’. But our biggest news to date is that this summer we are branching out into Europe, opening a flagship gallery in Ljubljana in Slovenia, while keeping a small base in London to maintain our connection with collectors and designers.

C: What are the key questions you ask yourself before starting to conceptualise an exhibition? 

VB: Why is this relevant now? Who is it for? How to demonstrate its qualities best? Of course, it has been incredibly hard in the past year, without actual visitors. However, the principle stays the same. This year's theme ‘Beyond Typology’ has seen our showcase expand with more artists and materials. It is about joy, comfort, and transforming spaces and ‘looks’.

About House on Mars Gallery (London)

House on Mars gallery is an offbeat, contemporary design gallery, showcasing an avant-garde collection of wearable art, objects, and wall pieces. Established in 2020 by architect, educator, and maker Vanja Bazdulj, the London-based gallery is home to a range of unconventional materials, processes, and ideas. Taken together, they are realised in an array of surprising, three-dimensional forms.