Bocci is a contemporary design and manufacturing house in Vancouver, Canada, dedicated to developing practical, yet striking design products which are stocked in showrooms across the globe. Their work covers a wide range of disciplines including the creation of furniture, lighting and custom items, which has fostered a positive and creative network of craftsmen, technicians, designers and retailers of fine objects. M.E. heard they would be making their way across the pond to exhibit in Milan, so we thought we'd get in touch and ask Omer Arbel, Bocci's Creative Director, about their plans for this year's Salone del Mobile.
What have you been working on recently? Would you be able to give us any sneak previews of new projects you might be showing at Milan this year?
We have been working on a project called 25 – it is an upholstered bench, our first upholstered piece of furniture. Upholstery has always been a conceptually challenging project for us, because on a basic level we like to expose materials and the way a piece is produced… but an upholstered piece has all this foam which remains hidden. This difficulty eventually became the “raison d’etre” for the piece. Instead of using foam, we decided to use heavily pleated heavy felt – a vast expanse of it – to provide comfort. Thus the piece remains at once conceptually rigorous to our philosophy.
What does exhibiting at the Salone del Mobile mean for you? How would you describe the positives (and maybe negatives?) of the experience?
This year the Salone is special for us because we have just opened a sister company in the EU. Our company has been based in Vancouver, Canada, since it was founded three years ago. Recently, we have opened a sister company based in Berlin complete with staff, a warehouse, and an office. The Salone this year will be the first time we exhibit with the full support of our EU sister company at our disposal. In effect, this showing for us is the official launch of our EU based sister company.
We're sorry, it has to be asked - How do you think the current economic situation will affect the climate in the design world, and particularly this year's Milan Salone? Do you foresee any positive or negative knock on effects or adaptations that might happen as a result?
The economic crisis will have a strong effect on the temperament of the fair – no question. We shall see what happens!
And of course, its not all work! Where do you think this year's best Salone party will be?
Established and Sons!
