COLLECTIBLE, the only fair exclusively dedicated to contemporary collectible design, is now launching its call for applications for its 8th edition in Brussels. Following a successful debut in New York City, COLLECTIBLE will return to the Vanderborght Building in the heart of Brussels from Thursday, March 13 to Sunday, March 16, 2025, with a VIP preview on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
The deadline for submissions is Thursday, October 31, 2024.
Main Bespoke, New Garde
The MAIN section, the core of the fair, invites galleries to present contemporary designers. Independent design studios are encouraged to apply to the BESPOKEsection, which focuses on commissioned works. Emerging galleries, non-profits, and collectives founded within the last two years are welcome to apply to the NEW GARDE section.
Selection committee:
- Mette Barford Editor-in-Chief, Ark Journal (Danemark)
- Prof. Tulga Beyerle Director, Museum of Arts and Crafts, Hamburg (Germany)
- Lidewij Edelkoort Trend forecasters (The Netherlands)
- Dorothée Meilichzon Interior Designer & Architect (France / US)
Dialogue
While COLLECTIBLE is primarily dedicated to contemporary creators, it recognizes the importance to acknowledge and explore the history of design. DIALOGUE invites galleries to present design works from the 80’s and 90’s in conversation with contemporary pieces.
Curated selection: The Reality of the Virtual by Brecht Wright Gander
We are delighted to unveil details about our new CURATED section 2025 that will be chaired and curated by New York-based artist and writer, Brecht Wright Gander.
“Imagine a dimension between actualization and imagination, between the frictionless intellect and the body-bound world. In this dimension, which is where we live, sculptural designers are casting metal using tools that haven’t changed since the Kingdom of Benin—but the forms they cast may be almost thought-into-being—modeled by nothing more substantial than keystrokes. Virtual reality, that newest of technologies, uses spatial tracking to virtualize a user’s finger movements, returning the hand to its pre-digital role as a designer’s primary instrument.
Technology is advancing beyond mediatory interfaces and absorbing the world wholecloth. As we enter the age of VR, AR, and AI, sculptural designers will find that the space of continuum between mental conception and physical execution is more broadly relevant than ever before.
The physical workshops of makers are less and less plausible as a binary opposite of office-bound design practices. COLLECTIBLE’s Curated section this year is a presentation of works that bring to bear digital technologies and embodied knowledge alike.”
Participating in our CURATED section allows independent design studios to show one piece of work within a contemporary theme. This opportunity offers unparalleled exposure and connections with curators, galleries, and specialized press.
Selection Committee
- Brecht Wright Gander Chairman of the CURATED section, Artist & Writer (US)
- Adrian Madlener Journalist (US)
- Max Radford Gallerist (UK)
- Olivier Zeitoun Design Curator at the Centre Pompidou, Paris (France)
Architect Designer
In this section, COLLECTIBLE offers a platform exclusively for professional architects and interior designers to exhibit their latest project in furniture design.
Outdoor
For the 2025 edition, the OUTDOOR section will be curated by Rotterdam-based visual artist and designer, Frank Bruggeman. Inaugurated during Brussels 2024, COLLECTIBLE celebrated notable demand for outdoor collectible design. Studios can exhibit one piece within a conceptual garden setting.
Applications:
| In order to keep COLLECTIBLE‘s concept coherent, applicants are kindly requested to adhere to the following: – Works must be unique pieces, bespoke commissions or limited editions; – All works need to be functional or have functionality in mind during the process; – Works need to have been produced recently; – Premieres are favoured (never seen before at a gallery, design fair or institutions). |
