Design Miami/: an interview with Marianne Goebl

The new director of Design Miami/ looks for new ways to develop this fast-growing fair and the role of facilitating between design and commerce.

Marianne Goebl is a woman with a definitive presence whose history of commitment to her work precedes her. She knows five languages, has a Masters in International Management from the Vienna Business School and a specialization in Marketing at the Grand École HEC Paris. She has savoir faire. But Marianne Goebl is especially motivated by an overwhelming passion for design that she had the opportunity to develop and refine at the exceptional school that was Vitra. First as Director of Vitra Editions (the company's laboratory specializing in experimental design and collections, introduced in 2007), responsible for worldwide communications and later for partnerships after several years spent at Basel in the company of the international design and architecture elite, Ms. Goebl has recently moved to Miami on the sunny coast of Florida to take her place as the new director of Design Miami/, the sector's most dazzling fair. Without plans to implement change through upheavals or revolutions, but with the stated intention of seeking new opportunities, Goebl brings a wealth of knowledge about the universe of design in all of its many-faceted forms. Her voice will be heard loud and clear from Miami.
Maria Cristina Didero: What's new and how will Design Miami/ change under your guidance?
Marianne Goebl : Design Miami/ has reached its seventh successful year. The next meeting in Basel in June will mark its twelfth edition. It's fair to say that in just a very few years, the fair has become an international point of reference for collectors and design enthusiasts, not only of historic design but also contemporary design. It was an honor to work with a quality team and with a proven format that works well but that will still be able to grow and evolve in the future. After only a few weeks of work in my new role, I think it's too early to make judgments, but I can definitely say that I will not revolutionize the fair but rather think of new developments. Design Miami/ is a true "design experience" offering a comprehensive and unique panorama of the best in the field. We are working to strengthen the program with the arrival of new galleries specializing in 19th and 20th century design, focusing on contemporary design and personal shows of new talent.

What are your personal expectations from your new job?
Applied art or design collections, on the institutional or private levels, are rather recent phenomena compared to fine arts collections in general. Design Miami/ has become a powerful catalyst in this discipline that in recent years has seen design included in the most prestigious international collections and has even attracted new collectors. I am curious to investigate the different possibilities in the field and explore them in greater depth to try to make design more accessible to a wider audience. It's important to work within a structure like Design Miami/ with its different and multiple cultural components, with its two shows on two continents, with a team based in Miami and many kinds of partners, international designers and galleries from around the world.

Vitra is considered a company that pursues excellence with a focus on culture and research. After all this time spent in an environment like that, what of that experience will you take with you to Design Miami/?
Above all, design and everything that has to do with design. The things that surround us have a strong influence on our lifestyle so it is important to choose them carefully. The same goes for people, trying to work with smart people.

Can cultural engagement have commercial success and vice versa?
"Contamination" between business and culture seems very interesting and I think there's room for development that can lead to new and exciting experiences. Many collectors follow their passion and try to combine it with commercial success. The business side is not unknown to the designer. All of this fits very well with the philosophy that guides Design Miami/.

You directed Vitra Editions. What's your relationship with limited-edition design? Is it the future of collecting?
Vitra Editions was designed as a platform for experimentation by designers and architects and allowed the big names—including Ron Arad Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, Hella Jongerius, and Jasper Morrison—to participate, to work freely, to depart from traditional rules and restrictions dictated by the world of industrial design. Creating a project for Vitra Editions was a truly liberating process that could create a new dimension for design, testing new technologies and above all creating a unique collection of "experimental projects." Many of them were able to test and develop innovative techniques that could be applied to industrial design while others were mere exercises in research. I am extremely fascinated by this concept of laboratory. I'm not attracted to design pieces just because they are produced in limited editions but rather I prefer true experimentation that can bring to light new languages and new production techniques, the use of innovative materials and unique expressions of creativity. This is all very important to me. Cutting-edge pieces—produced of course in small numbers due to high costs—are important contributions that enrich the contemporary design scene. The galleries that represent contemporary design at Design Miami/ offer their designers space for experimentation while running a small economic risk.

What is the future of collecting?
We tend to collect the unusual, the uncommon; a big name from the past, a piece of rare manufacturing or design that was innovative at the time it was produced. Many pieces have now won their battles against time and are still relevant and desirable within the current international design landscape or within design history. This also happens with a contemporary piece that has yet to project itself into the future remaining a mystery in terms of investment.

You have a wealth of experience in working in close contact with designers but now you have to deal with gallery owners and sponsors. Is that a challenge?
When I worked at Vitra, I had the great fortune to be able to contribute to the construction of new projects and at the same time follow the development process even though there was always the commercial aspect to consider. Once a product was being developed, it was important to interact immediately with the distribution network and the media. At Design Miami/ there's a platform composed of many voices represented by the program for the galleries: events promoted by sponsors and curators of the exhibition projects—all accompanied by a tremendous entrepreneurial vision. In both cases, I would define my role as a facilitator of relationships and communications between the various members of the chorus. The idea of reconciling different strategies into a single vision is definitely a challenge that I face with joy.

What is the future of trade fairs like Design Miami/?
Fairs are a good way to increase the market and facilitate the physical meeting between people who share a common interest—in our case, collecting and design. I don't believe that this interaction can be replaced easily by other virtual activities and this is especially true for the small niche that we move in. It's important that trade shows remain very specific in their message and in their direction. In the case of Design Miami/, this will mean focusing on high-quality collectibles.

Maria Cristina Didero

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