In 1999, Galerie kreo opened in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, focusing on the production of new pieces in collaboration with world-renowned designers. The gallery is defined as a “laboratory” dedicated to the production of limited contemporary pieces that are created exclusively for the gallery. Its list of designers include names like Naoto Fukasawa, Jaime Hayon, Konstantin Grcic, among others.
Whitewall spoke with the gallery’s director, Didier Krentowski, about how what it’s like to work in the world of design today.
WHITEWALL: Can you tell us about the current exhibition that’s open through April 9, featuring works by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec?
DIDIER KRENTOWSKI: We are showing for the first time drawings from the Bouroullec brothers. The French designers have a specific way of thinking that passes through drawing. Erwan, for example, takes pictures, then freezes the codes of the picture with the computer. The brothers also work on large-scale almost monumental projects, like the chandeliers in Versailles and the fountains down the Champs-Élysées that will be ready on March 21. The Bouroullec brothers are represented in many museums—from the Centre Pompidou to MoMA, and all the major museums in the world.
WW: How would you characterize a good designer?
DK: A good designer is an artist that thinks for the industry and creates researched pieces, like in a laboratory with a freedom of creativity.
WW: With so much visibility with social media, what is your argument for bringing people in the door and seeing a piece in person?
DK: We are one of the first galleries of contemporary design in the world with artists that are extremely followed on Instagram. We represent designers, like Jasper Morisson and Pierre Charpin, who started at the gallery and are today one of the most expensive designers in the world.
WW: Fairs are an essential part of the gallery market now, too. Which fairs do you prefer to attend?
DK: There are two important fairs for us. Many of our customers are fashion designers, contemporary artists, and collectors of art and furniture. There is the beautiful fair of Maastrich, TEFAF, where the best galleries of the world take part from the 18th century to today. And Art Basel, where I am part of the selection committee.
WW: What other galleries do you admire?
DK: The other galleries that work with the history of design—Galerie Francois Laffanour, Patrick Seguin, and Galerie Vallois.
