In 1991 a couple of "fools" - not our words, not even their words, rather the politely paraphrased words of an institution in Baden-Württemberg who really should have more foresight - decided to launch a sales fair for contemporary designer furniture in Stuttgart. A sales fair where young designers could present their self-produced work direct to the buying public.
In 1992 the first blickfang Stuttgart attracted some 42 exhibitors; no mean feat when you consider that blickfang was one of the very first fairs of this type, and that of course it was in an age when most designer's principle goal was still to find a producer for their work. The self-employed "maker" that we know today was still some way in the distance.
Over the intervening two decades blickfang has not only grown and establish itself in the Stuttgart creative scene - when the 21st edition of blickfang Stuttgart opens its doors on March 15th over 200 designers will be in attendance, presenting their fashion, jewellery and furniture designs - but has also grown geographically and now comprises an international series of fairs across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and most recently Denmark.
Facts which, when combined with the myriad of similar fairs sprouting globally, could lead one to misquote Obi-Wan Kenobi and ask "Who's more foolish, the fool or the fool who dismisses his plan.... ?"
Ahead of blickfang Stuttgart 2013 we caught up with blickfang founder and CEO Dieter Hofmann and Anne Schneider, Project Manager for blickfang Stuttgart and Hamburg, and started by asking how it all began....
Dieter Hofmann: Together with my brother I've been involved in organising events and fairs for nearly 30 years and we have always tried to develop projects that interested us personally. And for me design was such a subject. As a younger man I had considered a career in design, and even began a carpentry apprenticeship as a first step in that direction; however, I realised quite quickly that it wasn't my thing and so then switched to studying business and economics. And with blickfang we simply wanted to offer young, independent design labels a platform where they could come into contact with consumers. In a way, take design out of its "Ivory Tower" and to bring it to an interested, wider public.
(smow)blog: Twenty one years later is it still necessary to bring design out of its "Ivory Tower", or what do you see as blickfang's "role" today?
Dieter Hofmann: The situation has obviously changed over the years. I like to compare it to the changes that have taken place in the context of food with consumers taking more interest in, for example, where their food comes from and how it is produced. Similar considerations are becoming ever more prevalent for an ever larger section of consumers when purchasing furniture or clothing. Ecological considerations is one aspect, but an equally important aspect is regionality and that one understands from where the product comes. And offering such is now more important to us than "explaining" design.
(smow)blog: In context of this "regional" aspect, blickfang is now represented in six cities in four countries. Do all shows adhere to the same "blickfang" brand or have they all have their own character?
Anne Schneider: We try to maintain a certain consistency in the appearance and presentation of the shows, but obviously every location ticks a bit differently. What works in Hamburg, for example, may not necessarily work in Stuttgart. Then there is the different mix of exhibitors. In general one can say that in all blickfang locations a third of the exhibitors come from the host city, a third from the host country and a third are international. And this mix obviously influences the feel of each event. And so it is always blickfang and is always recognisable as such, but each blickfang has its own "design identity".
(smow)blog: In 2012 blickfang debuted in Copenhagen, the first fair in "non Germanophone Europe". Can we interpret that as the start of a larger European conquest?
Dieter Hofmann: We are currently considering a further European expansion, and at the moment have three, four possible locations that we find interesting. Although we musn't forget that expansion isn't just a question of finding a new venue, it is also a question of resources and time; when every week we have another show in another European metropolis then obviously that is something that we as an organisation need to master. However the expansion plans are there and I'm confident that in the foreseeable future more concrete ideas for one or the other location will be developed.
(smow)blog: Turning to blickfang Stuttgart 2013. Following the premiere last year you're repeating the blickfang locals platform. Briefly, what is the background?
Anne Schneider: Blickfang local is organised in cooperation with the Wirtschaftsförderung Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart and arose from general discussions as to how we could improve our cooperation and how we could help young creative talent from Stuttgart. The idea is to give young talents a platform to present their work to the public for the first time, and this year we have 5 Stuttgart designs studios from the furniture, interior sector.
(smow)blog: And are the participants selected or must they apply?
Anne Schneider: They must apply. Which is the general rule for all blickfang exhibitors, even those who have exhibited in the past must apply every year anew. And so that is no different for blickfang local. We have an international specialist jury who select based on criteria such as, for example, if the production chain can be clearly followed, the distinctiveness of the project, or does the work have an original story of its own. In addition we try to keep a rough 50/50 balance between furniture on the one side and fashion/jewellery on the other and also try to make sure that we don't have too much internal competition between exhibitors and that the mixture of products is as interesting and as wide as possible.
(smow)blog: Blickfang has taken a design based idea from Stuttgart into the wider world. Is however Stuttgart itself a creative city?
Anne Schneider: Stuttgart has a long architecture tradition and also the region in general is characterised by a handcraft tradition which means there is a high concentration of people in the region who place a high value on objects with real manufacturing behind them. Which doesn't however mean that Stuttgart is home to a high concentration of designers. At blickfang Stuttgart we don't have that many designers from Stuttgart itself, they come much more from the wider region. In Zürich we have more exhibitors direct from Zürich or in Hamburg more direct from Hamburg than we have direct from Stuttgart in Stuttgart.
(smow)blog: To end, and going back to the beginning, when blickfang started the maker scene wasn't as well advanced as it is now. Have things developed as you "predicted", or....
Dieter Hofmann: Looking back it is always difficult, and yes we could claim that recent developments are all part of a strategic plan developed by ourselves!! However, ultimately we just believed in the idea, and believed that it could establish itself. That it has established itself so successfully is largely because of parallel developments in society, developments to which blickfang has also made a very, very, small contribution. As you say ever more young designers are now producing their own goods and blickfang reflects that. Many of our exhibitors aren't looking for a major manufacturing partner, they aren't sitting around waiting for a major manufacturer to come with a contract. Rather they have consciously decided to produce themselves and to establish their own label. And I find that fascinating and very exciting.
Blickfang Stuttgart 2013 takes place from Friday March 15th - Sunday March 17th in the Liederhalle Stuttgart.
Full details can be found at blickfang.com
