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 Alexis Ryngaert, founder of Victor Hunt. Dealer..

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COLLECTIBLE: What tips would you give to a collector who wishes to start collecting contemporary design?

Alexis Ryngaert: Follow your guts, a collection needs to reflect the personality of the collector and if you’re to be collecting contemporary design this is even more important as you cannot worry about the investment value for emerging designers at that point and should not be distracted by that. That however doesn’t mean it should not be well-considered and conversations with gallerists or other knowledgeable persons will help and a sturdy study of the discipline as a whole is necessary to know where to position oneself, which designers and their work fit your glove best.

“ Well, surely all will agree Brussels is unique from the other surrounding capitals. But its slight anarchistic, poor governance aspects give it its edge and creates an interesting environment for both designers and collectors to bloom their own distinct identities.”

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

AR: Well surely all will agree Brussels is unique from the other surrounding capitals. But it’s slight anarchistic, poor governance aspects give it its edge and creates an interesting environment for both designers and collectors to bloom their own distinct identities. Generally, it is a forward-thinking city driven by its history of building, destroying, rebuilding. Every great style or applied art discipline of the last 2/300 years has marked the city and as an aggregate build its eclectic style all those who adhere to it treasure so much. And all without the pomp and self-centred approach many other capitals in Europe suffer from. Its freedom for each to be who he or she wants to be, a live and let live approach, seeps through it all and creates space for creativity. 

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

AR: How I got into it is a long story but mainly just because objects are my passion, addiction. I’m a materialist with mainly one goal, enabling designers to push contemporary aesthetics further towards a better future. It’s all about providing designers with the possibility to perpetually push the edge, the spearpoint, of contemporary creativity in object design. And as a good junky, I figured out, if you’re the dealer you’ll get your fix first…

C: What tip would you give to young designers who wish to focus their practice on collectible design?

AR: Identity. It is the main factor, I’m looking for often already talented designers to find that and then it gets interesting. There are many that have all the skills, the competences needed but few that do it their own way, leave the marked trails to start their own. But being able to translate their own identity through objects is what makes the difference.

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.