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 Beatrice Bianco, founder and owner of the Camp Design Gallery in Milan.

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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?

Beatrice Bianco: As we are headed to a more intangible life rather than a material one, the offer and the ideas of designers and functional artists will evolve too. There will be less interest in funny furniture and more attention to ideas and systems. Even with the amazing progress in virtual views and 3D, exhibitions and design works still need to be physically experienced by the public. This means we will have a larger choice of proposals: physical and virtual; like paper books and Kindle. I do not have it yet, and I am a hopeless bibliophile; however, I appreciate its practical side.

“A fundamental aspect of the real-life experience, is the direct access to the narrative of each project exposed.”

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

BB: Functional art is for fun and pleasure, it is a practice that should be fully lived and experienced rather than collected in a caveau. Moreover, connecting with contemporary designers and functional artists is possible as they are alive and still living their creative process, and this offers a valuable experience. There are a lot of “actors” in the field that select and guarantee the market, for instance gallerists and curators. Fairs, in particular, are an important moment of the “state of the art” of such experiences. I would suggest not to be afraid of curiosity!

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

BB: Attending such a fair is one of the best ways to fully connect with the “functional art world”. A fundamental aspect of the real-life experience, for a visitor or a collector, is the direct access to the narrative of each project exposed: conceptual process, material combinations and ideas of assemblage. All of it in one shot thanks to our five senses. As a gallerist, I find this moment a good way to connect with collectors, colleagues, and designers. At the end of the day, it is a niche area, and it is good to build a network.

About Camp Design Gallery

Founded in 2015 in Milan, Camp Design Gallery specialises in contemporary collectible design, which explores material culture and the concept of production beyond the traditional limits of art and design. The works presented by the gallery are based on research, experimentation, and the subversion of contemporary codes. The results are unique design projects originating from collaborations between international designers and artists.