The Courtray Design Biennale Interieur () is a major international
design
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
exhibition that takes place once every two years (in even years) in the Belgian city of Courtray (Kortrijk in Dutch). The first Interieur Design Biennale took place in 1968. The Biennale is organised by the Biennale Interieur npo. During the fair, producers and designers present their innovating interior products to a broad cultural, commercial and professional audience. Over the years, the fair has introduced a number of side activities such as the YoungDesignersFair, Design at Work, Exterieur, lectures and debates.
History
The first Design
Biennale
In the art world, a biennale ( , ; ), is a large-scale international contemporary art exhibition. The term was popularised by the Venice Biennale, which was first held in 1895, but the concept of such a large scale, and intentionally internationa ...
was held in 1968. The event took place in the 'Halls of Kortrijk', a new exhibition complex near the E17 highway. The event became more and more international during the following decades, and so it became one of the most important
design
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
with international acclaim. At the 2012 Design Biennale, the exhibition space came to the city centre for the first time. During this Biennale, not only the halls in
Kortrijk Xpo
Kortrijk Xpo is one of the biggest multi-purpose indoor arenas and convention centres in the Benelux, covering some (2009).Broeltowers
The Broel Towers () are a listed monument and a landmark in the Belgian city of Kortrijk (''Courtrai''). The towers are known as one of the most important symbols of the city.
History
Although they look identical, the towers were not built a ...
.
In 2016, Interieur will be centred around
Kortrijk Xpo
Kortrijk Xpo is one of the biggest multi-purpose indoor arenas and convention centres in the Benelux, covering some (2009).Vlasmuseum in the heart of Kortrijk.
Format
The aim of the Biennale Interieur npo is to promote creativity in product development and design, through the means of a major international Biennale, which offers an overview of the most recent developments and the most successful projects in product development and design.
The 2012 fair will, for the first time in its history, take place both at the Expo halls and in the city centre, where activities are planned in the Buda Design Factory.
Guests of Honour
World famous design personalities have been invited as guest of honour:
*1968: Simon Mari Pruys (NL)
*1970:
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy ( , ; November 5, 1893 – July 14, 1986) was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by ''Time'' magazi ...
(VS)
*1972:
Gio Ponti
Giovanni "Gio" Ponti (; 18 November 1891 – 16 September 1979) was an Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer, artist, teacher, writer and publisher.
During his career, which spanned six decades, Ponti built more than a hu ...
(IT)
*1974:
Verner Panton
Verner Panton (13 February 1926 – 5 September 1998) is considered one of Denmark's most influential 20th-century furniture and interior designers. During his career, he created innovative and futuristic designs in a variety of materials, espec ...
(DK/CH)
*1976: Gillo Dorfles (IT)
*1978:
Philip Rosenthal
Philip Rosenthal (born January 27, 1960) is an American television writer and producer who is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the CBS sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005). In recent years, he has presented food and tr ...
(DE)
*1980:
Jean Prouvé
Jean Prouvé (; 8 April 1901 – 23 March 1984) was a French metal worker, self-taught architect and designer. Le Corbusier designated Prouvé a constructeur, blending architecture and engineering. Prouvé's main achievement was transferring m ...
(FR)
*1982:
Alessandro Mendini
Alessandro Mendini (16 August 1931 – 18 February 2019) was an Italians, Italian designer and architect. He played an important part in the development of Italian, Postmodern architecture, Postmodern, and Radical period, Radical design. He a ...
Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck (; born 18 January 1949) is a French industrial architect and designer known for his wide range of designs, including interior design, architecture, household objects, furniture, boats and other vehicles. His most popular pieces ...
(FR)
*1988:
Geert Bekaert
Geert Bekaert (1928–2016) was a Belgian architectural critic and writer on art and design. He was one of the most prolific non-fiction writers in the Dutch language of the late 20th-century. As a young man he was for some years a member of the ...
(BE)
*1990:
Andrea Branzi
Andrea Branzi (30 November 1938 – 9 October 2023) was an Italian architect, designer, and academic. He was born and raised in Florence, though he lived and worked in Milan for much of his career. He was a professor and chairman of the School ...
(IT)
*1992:
Dieter Rams
Dieter Rams (born 20 May 1932) is a German industrial designer who is most closely associated with the consumer products company Braun (company), Braun, the furniture company Vitsœ, and the functionalism (architecture), functionalist school of ...
(DE)
*1994:
Jasper Morrison
Jasper Morrison (born 1959) is an English product and furniture designer. He is known for the refinement and apparent simplicity of his designs. In a rare interview with the designer, he is quoted as saying: "Objects should never shout."
...
(UK)
*1996:
Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel (; born 12 August 1945) is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of ''Mars 1976'' and ''Syndicat de l'Architecture'', France’s first labor union for architects. He has ob ...
(FR)
*1998: Rolf Fehlbaum (CH)
*2000: Konstantin Grcic (DE)
*2002: Michael Young (UK)
*2004: James Irvine (UK) & Kirsti Paakkanen (FI)
*2006: Alfredo Häberli (CH/ARG)
*2008: Jaime Hayon (ES)
*2010:
Jun'ya Ishigami
(born 1974 in Kanagawa prefecture) is a Japanese architect.
Ishigami completed his master's degree in architecture and planning at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 2000. Between 2000 and 2004, he worked with Kazuyo Sejima at ...
Greg Lynn
Greg Lynn (born 1964) is an American architect, founder and owner of the Greg Lynn FORM office, a Full Professor at the Institute of Architecture at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and a professor at the UCLA School of the Arts and Archite ...
(VS) and Muller Van Severen (BE).
*2014: Joseph Grima (GB)
*2016: Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen (BE)
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...