Three Layer Cake

Ambra Medda is an extremely engaging, intelligent, and focused woman with clear ideas of how she’d like to diffuse “Design” in the world.  She is a woman to watch because she has a well-trained eye and the right medium, Design Miami/, to influence not just design, but history.  It could sound a bit far-fetched, but if you believe that this is truly a unique moment in which certain post-war/contemporary design pieces are acquiring a status and value which put them on par with other museum pieces defined as art, then there’s no way to get around Design Miami/ as an important catalyst in the field.  Design Miami/ brings design to those who have the means to purchase it, but it also brings design to those who wish to learn more about it.  Ambra is co-founder of this annual event.  For Ambra,  design doesn’t stop with the object, but it goes much deeper—to the context, the designer, the technique, the materials.  She certainly has the eye and the knowledge to bring the best and most influential pieces to us.
 

How do you select the galleries which will participate in Design Miami/?
The way we select galleries which will participate is based first and foremost on the quality of the materials.  This defines which galleries are interesting to us.  The second defining element is the period—we only do post-war to contemporary.  Another primary defining element is the sense of presentation and the curatorial effort exhibited in the galleries.  Last, but not least, of course we try to cover as much geographic area as possible.  But galleries are where they are, they can’t do much about that! 

I should also add that the type of galleries we deal in are the type which produce catalogues or books on their designers, which means they are following the best of the best, which also means they defend their designers in the market.  This is another really important defining element in our selection criteria.  There is an element of research behind the galleries we are interested in, it’s not just a retailer, it’s someone who has a real sense of research. 

When they come, we try to give them a space that’s more of a gallery, and not just a little booth to sell from.  They may choose a theme like irony and design, and create an installation with pieces that reflect this new trend, so it really is in keeping with the nature of each individual gallery and that comes through in their exhibition spaces.  (Below:  view of Magen H. Gallery, 3 Totems by Pierre Szekeley).

Your first editions of Design Miami/ have had a heavy American and European representation, with only two outliers—one Asian gallery and a gallery which specializes in Brazilian pieces.  Why was this?  The market is strongest in Europe and in America.  I think that’s the best answer.  We would like to cover the entire globe of course, but through extensive travels I’ve found that there aren’t that many galleries that are at the level we’d like them to be for Design Miami/.  Of course that’s not to say that European or American design is stronger or that we’re not interested in anything else, or not being from either of these places is disqualifying.  Most of the galleries which are a fit for us are concentrated in Paris and New York.  I would love to have a gallery from Japan, and I’m doing research to find one but I haven’t yet.  China is another place I’m interested in.  I’d love to see more in China but there just isn’t a gallery at that level yet.  South America, same thing.  Take Africa, for example.  I went to Capetown, but couldn’t find a gallery that could afford to do the transfer and invest in the show.  I’m looking into Dubai next week.  I’d be interested in doing certain components of Design Miami/ there and I’m interested in doing the show in China, either Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong. 

Marc Newson was quoted in an article by Fred Bernstein in December 2006:

Still, Newson doesn’t know whether to call his limited-edition pieces art. “I’m damned if I do and damned if I don't,” he said by phone from Paris. “It’s clearly not design -- because it doesn't really perform any particular function, nor do I want it to have to live up to all of those expectations. Neither do I think it’s necessarily art. And,” he says, wryly, “everybody in the art world would agree with me on that.”

“It may be something that doesn't have the right definition yet,” says Newson. “But,” he adds, without a hint of bravado, “it seems to be a hot ticket at the moment.”

How do you reconcile what Design Miami/ is doing with what he says?
I think there is this ongoing debate ‘Is it art, is it design?’.  People question whether design is moving into the art world or now actually the question is ‘is the art world encroaching on design?’  In this case specifically, people are asking ‘Why is Marc Newson having a show at Gagosian gallery?’  It goes both ways.  Each piece is on its own mission and I think that each and every piece of design is a product of the designer’s creativity.  If it’s leaning toward sculpture and it’s less functional then it’s easier to define an object as art.  In the end, it is what you make of it.  I don’t think things need to be defined and catalogued to have a sense.  I think this moment, a moment when things are unclassifiable, is the most intriguing because I think that people have to make up their minds.  It depends on the person, the artist, the capability of the designer and the balance between form and function.  It’s a personal question.  But I will say that for me, once everything is obvious and clear, then the magic of this moment will be gone! 
 

If it’s not art, how can we justify the high prices being paid for Marc’s pieces and others like them?
I don’t think that things need to be art to be expensive, valued and respected.  I think there’s an enormous growth in interest in limited-edition design and it’s just driving the numbers up because limited-edition production makes things more desirable.  And really, design is just very successful now.  It’s been growing for a number of years and it’s in this moment when design is new for art collectors and they are gauging the fact that as art, it’s an intelligent investment that they can surround themselves with in their homes and make a mini-gallery, and of course the pieces are beautiful. 

But to take this one step further, things are expensive because the world is crazy.  There are a lot of very wealthy young couples now that have second homes and they have to sit on something, so they say ‘Why not make it something beautiful?’, even if sometimes it’s uncomfortable!  (Below:  Galerie Philippe Denys, piece by George Nakashima)

So would you sit on a million dollar chair in your home?
(laughter) I don’t have one, but I do have some pieces which represented a significant expense for me, and I do sit on them!  I sit on all my furniture, even if a piece is uncomfortable because I think it’s there to be enjoyed.  If it gets stained or damaged, that’s a risk I take and it becomes the history of the object, the history of your time with it.  I think enjoying the furniture outweighs the risk.  Some people aren’t like that.  They have their precious valuables locked away in vaults, but I couldn’t do that! 
 

Marc Newson also seems to imply that his items are ‘fashionable’ at the moment.  How do we know, or do we, that the contemporary pieces which are featured at Design Miami/ will have appeal throughout time, or do the pieces have their own '15 minutes of fame'?  Our pieces are definitely timeless.  At least I would hope that most pieces at DM/ are timeless!  (laugh)  But you see how fashion is very cyclical?  Colors or styles come back into style?  I think in design things might be forgotten for a while, but then are readdressed—the colors, the forms.  If something is timeless, it’s timeless.  Of course it’s not fashionable every day for the next 500 years, but our pieces have longevity and are good pieces, even after 30 years they still seem contemporary. 

 
What is ‘good design’ in your opinion?  Does “good design” transcend cultural and national boundaries?  Most definitely good design transcends national boundaries.  I think that good design is very well thought out in that it is practical as well as being extraordinarily beautiful.  I have a lot of respect for design which is timeless, beautiful and functional and I think those would be the most important elements.  Personally, I have a sense of practicality.  I have pieces which are heavy and impractical, but I also believe there is a sense of genius to designing a chair that a child can lift or that an 80 year old can lift that is comfortable, but that you can lift so that you can sweep the floor, or bring it upstairs and that is also a wonderful object for you to enjoy while you are having dinner. (Below: Atrium of Moore Building, site site specific installation by Zaha Hadid)

 
Philippe Starck is often credited for bringing ‘design’ into the mainstream, and giving it significance for the common French household.  What type of significance do you hope ‘design’ acquires in the U.S.?  I’ve never thought about how design is going to be accepted or evolved specifically to the U.S., but I would hope that people have a more in-depth understanding of what design is.  That would be my biggest hope.  That design is really understood in an historical sense and how it is a product of the ever changing needs of society and how it becomes a part of contemporary culture.  Design is now part of contemporary culture, it was in the 50s, it was in the 20s, it is now a significant part. 
 

You’ve lived in quite a few places, and studied a culture and language much much different than your native cultures/language.  What from your background do you think has most shaped your own personal design tastes?  Is it a mix, or is there one strong theme?  I would say everything.  The fact that I’ve been exposed to so much, such different design and contexts, so be it the warehouse, the auction, the artists’ and designers’ studio, be it the interior of a collector’s home, and all the diversity.  My mother is a design dealer, she doesn’t have a gallery anymore but she dealt in both important historical design and cutting edge contemporary design. Her focus was italian glass, from Murano, major furniture pieces by Italian architects like Gio Ponti, Franco Albini, Ico e Luisa Parisi. These rare Italian mid-century treasures were coupled with some of the first shows young promising (mainly British or UK based) designers had. Tom Dixon, Danny Lane, Marc Brazier Jones, Deborah Thomas, Andre Dubreil...etc  She has a brilliant eye for major masterpieces from the past and translates that knowledge into guidance to the designers of the future. What she found most successful in a historical piece she would take as inspiration for her dialogue with a young designer.  She always was and always will be a strong woman, dedicated first and foremost to her passion for design (and her children). 

Being exposed to this design eclecticism has given me an open appreciation for design.  To a certain extent I try to use my experience and understanding of what I’ve seen in the past when I am looking at a new piece, but at the same time I try to forget everything I’ve seen prior to the moment and try to view each new piece with a fresh approach.

 
Time Capsule:  Which three design pieces would you put in a time capsule today that say the most about you and the times we live in?

I would say a Superleggera by Gio Ponti.  Actually, I would say any design by Gio Ponti really does it for me, I think he’s a complete genius.  Then I would say the Iceberg Sofa by Zaha Hadid.  And then I would say Marc Newson’s piece Voronoi Shelf  in Carrara marble (pictured above, from Gagosian Gallery).  It’s extraordinary.  I have a really hard time.  If you asked me tomorrow, I’d probably give different answers.  Except for Gio Ponti.
 

What motivates you?  My profession certainly motivates me incredibly and more specifically the idea of exploration and engaging with the world.  I say professionally, but I’m not trying to achieve anything specific career-wise.  My job allows me to express myself and try to achieve who I am.  I don’t like to say that I am a workaholic, and that I don’t like to sit down and enjoy dinner, but I wake up in the morning and am excited to go out and research design and improve the show.

What food/dessert best describes Design Miami/?  What would you like it to be in five years?
Spaghetti or pasta in general.  Just as it’s very good, al dente, but it takes on a different sauce each episode.  In five years I think it would be the same.  (Above:  Ambra Medda with Yves Behar)

Eating what food brings back the best memories?
I think mango.  I think it’s related to being on the road, exploring new countries with my mother.  It brings back memories of India, South/Central America, Africa.  Anywhere warm, and beautiful.

The first thing you notice in a restaurant…
Is definitely the lighting.

Best flea market find/deal on a piece of furniture/interior accessory you’ve made.  Where is it now?  I’ve bought most things at flea markets, so I don’t want to offend any pieces that aren’t mentioned.  I definitely bought a kimono for $8 in LA, I think it was Pasadena.  It was very interesting.  In blue silk which was incredible.

First piece of furniture you put in your home?
I was born into design.  My mother is a complete design freak.  Probably Gaetano Pesce.  A sofa called Sunset in New York.

No home is complete without…
A blender.

Next piece you’re saving up for…
A beautiful beautiful piece by Poul Kjærholm.

Celebrity you’re intrigued by.
There are many!  I think celebrities are like wild, interesting, unfathomable.  You know that kind of buzz you get when you are around them…it’s inevitable.  I tend to like somewhat strong women with character or very funny men.  Mostly old movie stars.  But if it has to be someone contemporary Susan Sarandon, Judy Dench, David Brent…I’m thinking politicians and artists…  John Baldassari I’m totally fascinated by.  You know how some people are heroes for you, but people don’t know who they are…?  I have lots of those.

You’ll always pick up the magazine if _________________________ is on the cover.
Something I’m interested in.  A great piece of design, architecture, something that looks intellectually cool.

When you travel, you always take ______________ with you?
My diary!  I’m sorry, I know that’s a bit boring, but true!

Photo credits:  All images, except Voronoi Shelf, by Richard Patterson