Maison&Objet Design Factory

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Maison&Objet will present for the first time in Hong Kong the “Maison&Objet Design Factory” pavilion, as well as “Hong Kong Design on Stage Showcase”, from 5 to 7 December 2024 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). These events lay the first stone of Maison&Objet’s presence in the city. This is a significant milestone in the design world, coinciding with Maison&Objet’s 30th anniversary celebrations, which is set to offer global exposure and facilitate connections among world-class designers, artisans, innovative brands, manufacturers, and media.

Both “Maison&Objet Design Factory” and “Hong Kong Design on Stage” will be presented at DesignInspire. Organised by the Strategic Partner of “Maison&Objet Design Factory”, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, DesignInspire is an annual showcase that promotes Hong Kong’s dynamic culture and creativity.

Maison&Objet is globally recognised for its biannual trade fairs in Paris, France. It has become an international platform for design, interior decoration and lifestyle, regularly attracting over 70,000 visitors and 2,500 exhibitors from over 150 countries twice a year. In 2024, Maison&Objet celebrates not only its 30th anniversary but also the exhilarating skills of handcrafted work while delving into how traditional design techniques can be adapted to tackle modern day environmental challenges, in order to accommodate future habits and lifestyles for the next 30 years.

Maison&Objet Design Factory, spanning 1,000 square metres, will showcase the latest approach in “conscious design”, particularly in the aspects of circularity, sustainable materials, and end of life solutions, all presented in an immersive setting to highlight key concepts that introduce responsible interactions with our environment. The exhibition will consist of five distinct zones, each uniquely exploring “conscious design”, as follows:

Nature, the Muse!, curated by world-renowned Chinese contemporary designer Jiang Qiong’er, will bring together 10 French and 9 Chinese artisans to explore the intersection of heritage and modern design in both the eastern and the western cultures. The French artisans have been selected amongst Les Lauréats de l’Intelligence de la Main®, a unique community with more than 130 unique talents recipients of the Liliane Bettencourt Prize pour l’Intelligence de la Main®, awarded by the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller. Aurélie Leblanc, Aurélie Lanoiselée, Eric Benqué, Felipé Ribbon and Nicolas Marischael, Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert, Karl Mazlo, Lucile Viaud, Mona Oren, Nelly Saunier, and Grégoire Scalabre will exhibit their uniquely created pieces together for the first time in Asia.

On the Chinese side, the unique creations of 李树淡 Li Shuda, 品物流形 Pinwu, 辛瑶瑶 Xin Yaoyao, 李之元 Li Chih Yuan, Jiang Qiong Er’, RRB-Design, SADC, 赵瑾雅 Zhao Jinya and 張永和 YungHo Chang will feature ancestral and contemporary Chinese crafts applied to decorative art, in a dynamique dialogue with the French works.

Conscious Staging, curated by Normal Studio, a French-based design firm with a strong focus on sustainability, will imagine a “consciously designed ideal room” to demonstrate the challenges and the possibilities of conscious design, including 100% recycled architectural furniture, set in an environment that emphasises natural lighting and anti-sound pollution solutions.

Precious Matters, curated by Pauline Vidal and Quentin Hirsinger, founder of Materi’O and an expert in innovative materials, will invite visitors into a garden space where they can sit at an elegant picnic table and explore a selection of materials chosen for their innovative properties through a carefully curated “menu”.

Shades of Sustainability (Chromo Sapiens), curated by Uchronia for French Design, will present 13 new innovative design pieces by a selected group of French studios, each highlighting sustainable processes, materials, or angles.

Terra Cosmos: spaces full of future promise, curated by Elizabeth Leriche, will present a poetic interpretation of space and time, and offer an inspiring tribute to the universe and planets, demonstrating a unique blend of conscious design and colour aesthetics.

Across the five zones, Maison&Objet Design Factory will bring together over 120 different brands and designers representing the best of environmentally friendly practices from Asia and Europe, as well as 21 world-renowned artisans embodying excellence in the fine crafts, thus creating an immersive journey through sustainable and innovative design practices. During the exhibition, renowned award-winning Chinese and French artisans will share more about their techniques with the audience.