David's piece, the Body Raft 2000, was purchased by Giulio Cappellini for his private collection. And his company Cappellini wish to manufacture the piece. Cappellini are the biggest and most prestigious of the Italian manufacturers of design furniture and this is a very exciting achievement. There were also seven other Italian companies who expressed an interest in manufacture.
Pacific Edge were awarded one of three runners-up prizes for the best stand in Satellite, by the sponsors of the award, the German magazine Design Report. The award recognised the quality of design, manufacturing potential and standard of presentation of individual stands at Satellite. Tom Dixon, the British designer and director of design at Habitat, was one of the judges ; he said that Habitat would like to stock the Body Raft, effectively placing an order for one Body Raft for each of the 78 Habitat stores in Europe.
During the course of the six day show the Body Raft featured in three Milan daily papers or supplements, no mean feat considering the massive volume of furniture on exhibition at the world's most important Furniture Fair. There will no doubt be further coverage in the world's design press as a result of the 77 press kits that Pacific Edge gave out to journalists from 24 different countries, plus the extra promotion that Design Report promised for the Award.
It is interesting to reflect that all this was achieved from a small provincial New Zealand town, with no public funding (because none was available at short notice under inflexible government regulations). Much has been made of the millions of dollars spent to exhibit two New Zealand artists at the Venice Biennale, which is no more important in the art world than the Milan Fair is in the design world.
Background: David applied for selection to Salone Satellite in September 2000, but only heard that he had been selected in January 2001. He was unsuccessful in finding New Zealand designers to exhibit with and formed Pacific Edge with two designers from Sydney. Ruth McDermott, who exhibited 'Helio' wall lights, combines an extensive background in industrial design and lighting design with a particular interest in textiles and their role in contemporary design. Edward Wong is a recent Sydney Bachelor of Design graduate who showd 'Slip', an interchangeable furniture module that challenges the sacredness of space within small environments.
Salone Satellite is held in one of the many pavilions forming part of the vast Salone del Mobile, the Milan Furniture Fair. In Satellite there were 149 stands of new and young designers from all over the world. It is sponsored by the Italian furniture industry in order to place new designs in front of the manufacturers and entry is by selection and invitation only. It is the fermenting ground for new ideas and for many is the most exciting part of the whole 'Fiera'.
Contact
David Trubridge, Furniture Designerable on:
Ph/Fax: +64 6 877 4684
trubridge@clear.net.nz
