Hublot Design Prize 2018

They are part of our daily lives, the kind of emblematic design objects that have sometimes achieved a level of recognition such that the name of their designer or their own name is as well-known as the brand with which they are associated. They have become icons and exercised an enduring influence on the world.

Such is exactly the destiny of the now instantly recognisable Big Bang, which has enjoyed the kind of career that Hublot wishes to offer the new generation of designers. A generation that sees design as a means of conveying a message, be it reducing inequalities, promoting responsible and sustainable means of consumption and thus production itself, reconnecting people, making the intangible tangible, or even advocating a “gender-neutral” world.

They have talent, they have a vision, they are the design of tomorrow. Overseen by a jury composed of six influential design personalities from Switzerland and around the world, the Hublot Design Prize offers them a springboard, an opportunity to gain renown and visibility. For the fourth edition of the award, the Nyon-based Manufacture had chosen the extremely stripped-down setting of the Grand Basel Motor Show, an event that looks at the automotive world from an innovative angle.

The quality of the works presented this year was such that the jury struggled to pick a single winner from among the seven finalist projects. It finally decided that the originality and committed vision of two projects would be regarded as a tie. Formafantasma and Dozie Kanu will therefore share the sum of 100,000 francs donated by the Manufacture.

Born in 1993 in Houston (USA) and a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Dozie Kanu lives in Lisbon. His signature consists of using and combining diametrically opposite materials within his creations. His goal is to instil a distinctive energy into his objects, the kind of force that conveys a message. The result is functional furniture, featuring sculptural lines infused with street art influences.

The Amsterdam-based Formafantasma studio is made up of a duo of Italian designers – Andrea Trimarchi (1983) and Simone Farresin (1980) – who are both graduates of the Eindhoven Academy of Design. They are referred to as “visionaries of tomorrow’s design”. Their signature lies in constantly experimenting with new materials inspired by local traditions and cultures, while creating a bridge between craftsmanship and industry, object and consumer. They have grasped the importance of objects as vehicles of cultural and social meaning. O

September 27, 2018