This year’s Design at Large edition is curated by renowned French photographer François Halard. Famous for his unique images of architectural projects and stunning interiors, he has portrayed the houses and ateliers of some of the major XX century artists, namely Louise Bourgeois, Luigi Ghirri, Saul Leiter, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly… Also, he is one of the few photographers to have immortalized some iconic houses: Villa Foscari (aka Palladio’s La Malcontenta), Casa Malaparte, Villa Noailles, la Maison de Verre, all the Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé’s houses, and lately, the famous Logge di Raffaello, the stunning Vatican galleries located in the Pope’s private apartments, graced by Raffaello’s frescoes. Halard is also the author of several great books, among which “This Is The House That Jack Built” (Steidl), showcasing Maja Hoffmann’s superb art collection and houses around the world.
Thrilled to have been invited to curate the Design at Large exhibition at Design Miami/Basel Halard loves design:
Can you remember how and when your passion for design started?
Art and design have been influencing me since I was a child. My parents opened my eyes to this world, and thought me how art, furniture, architecture, planning, landscape impact the way we live. In my work as a photographer, I often strive to capture the essence of art and design by documenting ideas that manifest in something physical, including the structures that define the way we live. I want to focus on the elements that elevate our experience of living. Meaningful design is impactful and long-lasting, it adds so much value to the world and to our lives, it withstands the test of time, sometimes defining a moment, sometimes setting the stage for the next one.
Is time a keyword in your work?
Time is an essential component of my work. I have spent a great deal of my life waiting: waiting for the clouds to pass, waiting for the photographic prints to arrive, waiting for the garden to be at its peak, and waiting for the letter or email confirming access to a special place. Again, time. It took fifteen years before I was able to capture the inimitable Cy Twombly in his Gaeta studio, and it was worth it.
What’s the exhibition theme and which works did you select?
With Design at Large and the various projects presented, I am looking at how the past has influenced the now and how the now may influence the tomorrow, it is all linked. Ideas are the bedrock of art and design–will and craft makes them physical, and time is the mediator. In some of these projects we can see concepts that have defined the last fifty years of art and design as well as in other ways we may see the seeds of the cities of tomorrow, and yet, only time will tell.
What’s the next design piece you can’t wait to buy?
I cannot answer that, because I love design so much that I’m always eyeing the next piece that I will add to my already big collection! So… if I had to give an answer, I would say I want to buy them all!
Why is design becoming more and more collectible?
I don’t look at design as something that is becomingcollectible. It’s always been relevant to collectors: in my eyes a piece manufactured thousands of years ago by the Romans is as interesting and desirable as a work by Ettore Sottsass. There is no difference. The important thing is art seen as a reflection of its time and becoming timeless, from Raffaello to Cy Twombly.
What’s your favorite spot in Basel ?
Definitely the museums: Shaulager and Kunsthalle.
Design at Large, Curated by François Halard. Design Miami/Basel
Self-portrait : Courtesy Francois Halard
Main picture : DiscoGufram, sofas by Atelier Biagetti, 2018, Courtesy of Gufram
Installation views, Courtesy François Halard
