Fuorisalone Milan Design Week 2011: Arik Levy

Arik Levy

Back in snowy Stockholm we met up with Arik Levy and amongst other topics discussed his residency as Stockholm Furniture Fair Guest of Honour.

In sunny Milan we briefly caught up with Arik Levy again; principally to follow up on how Stockholm had been for him but also to gather his opinions on the importance of Milan.

(smow)blog: Is Milan Design Week still important, is it still relevant?

Arik Levy: Milan Design Week isn’t the expression I would choose. The fair is very important, what happens outside is less relevant. But the fair has its place and its impact and that shows. And that’s good so.

(smow)blog: And so one can still find good, new products at Milan Furniture Fair?

Arik Levy: Yes, of course. But what’s more important is continuity and dynamic. It’s not about closing holes: it’s not about making another chair there or another table here. It’s about creating a philosophy and helping those companies that you work with grow and growing with them.

(smow)blog: It’s a stupidly obvious question, but in that sense are you happy with the new products you’re showing here in Milan?

Arik Levy: (laughs) Of course!

(smow)blog: We last met in Stockholm as you were presenting your installation at the furniture fair. Did that work as you’d hoped?

Arik Levy: You know, I gave the Stockholm Fair an impulse that they have never had.  With all previous installations, without criticising the work themselves, in all the pictures you see there is no one there. They were empty. It was like a design museum. Which I think is boring. It doesn’t give anything and the world is about people, it’s not about tables and chairs. So I wanted to do something where people can be there, are happy to be there, can work there, sleep there, whatever. And it was full all day. At the end of the fair the fair manager came to me and said “Arik, you revolutionised our way of thinking and we want to take your concept and use it for all our fairs.” Because the installation created a community. And that is the most important. What else is important?  So I put a grain in the ground, it became a tree and now its going to become a forest. So I’m happy because it is now something for the future.

(smow)blog: Which is pretty much how you said it should be before the fair started.

Arik Levy: Exactly!

(smow)blog: Thanks for your time, and enjoy Milan!

Arik Levy's "Guest of Honour Installation" at Stockholm Furniture Fair