It was bound to happen sooner or later: this year's ICFF saw not only a handful of (good-to-excellent) satellite shows but also a satellite of a satellite. In homage to the original Salon des Refusés, the 1867 exhibition held outside the official Paris Salon, the nine designers in the 2012 edition have set up some 15 blocks south of the 'parent' exhibition, Sawkill Lumber's 12x12 at WantedDesign.The city's first flash furniture exhibit made it's debut during New York Design Week 2012, with record crowds passing through the outdoor location at the intersection of 9th Ave. & 14th St. in NYC's Meatpacking District. The show included local designer/makers that were not accepted by a juried show, organizing as a Salon des Refuses (French: Exhibit of the Refused)...
The works, made of locally reclaimed lumber, and a range of other refuse, are a mix of furniture types—benches, chairs, tables, consoles, and an iChamber (part homage to its location opposite the Apple Store). Whether the furniture measures up to other 2012 Design Week installations (the public and critics will judge), does not detract from it's celebration of local craftsmanship, sustainability and public accessibility.
The exhibit is free to the public. As one Refusé reported, "People have interacted with the furniture and designers, and appreciate the relaxed outdoor spot. We definitely didn't feel refused. Other NY Design Week events, by economic necessity, need to charge for admission, though attendees experience an exceptional collection of international and local design. It's hoped that future NY design weeks serve to engage the public more widely and that the success of the Salon des Refusés in terms of public outreach and the inclusion of designers with limited marketing resources, can be multiplied. Restraint in branding the event critical to it's happening.
While it's not quite as cheeky (or outright egalitarian) as the DENNIS Design Center in Milan, the Salon de Refusés was a success, insofar as it embodied both the conscientious mission of Sawkill Lumber and a more public approach to the design festival.
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