Where silk weavers used to present their precious fabrics in the guild houses of the city on the Limmat, a new Golden Design Triangle will present itself to visitors from 15 to 17 November: at the intersection of innovative design ideas, centuries-old craft tradition and contemporary creativity, Zurich’s design heart, BLICKFANG, pulsates with 180 design labels in the Kongresshaus Zurich.
BLICKFANG Zurich claims to be more than just a design event. It is the ideas laboratory of the future, where the precise craftsmanship of Switzerland meets experimental design and new ideas, the organisers write about themselves. The 180 independent design labels continue to spin the thread of tradition and weave it into innovative concepts.
A small excerpt from the list of exhibiting labels proves that this claim can actually be realised:
D’Art Design: Where Swiss precision meets sustainability
The label D’Art Design from Oftringen, founded by David Müller, stands for the essence of modern Swiss furniture design: traditional craftsmanship, an elegant design language and the use of solid wood. At the centre of this is a holistic philosophy: the creation of living spaces that do justice to both people and the environment.
The label sets new standards in the combination of ergonomics and aesthetics. The ‘rocking chair’, which was created in collaboration with a neighbouring home for the blind, and other products show how D’Art Design interprets traditional Swiss furniture art in a new and socially responsible way.
Müller’s design language combines modern clarity with timeless simplicity. He is not only concerned with aesthetics: every piece of furniture is manufactured according to building biology principles and finished with natural materials. This holistic approach – from personal consultation and individual planning to production in the company’s own workshop – makes D’Art Design a pioneer in sustainable Swiss furniture design.
A path to longevity beyond fashions
The Basel-based design label THISMADE, run by This and Barbara Reber, is making its mark on the domestic furniture landscape. Under the ‘swiss made’ seal of quality, creations are produced that skilfully play with the limits of statics, combining the highest level of precision craftsmanship with innovative concepts.
Just how skilfully the label combines tradition and modernity is demonstrated particularly impressively by the ‘Louis’ secretary. The piece of furniture is a sophisticated reinterpretation of the table design from the era of the French bourgeois king Louis Philippe. THISMADE succeeds in translating the elegant design language of the 19th century into the present and rethinking it in functional terms. This synthesis of historical inspiration and contemporary functionality is characteristic of the new generation of Swiss designers.
Authenticity, inspired by nature
Möbelmanufaktur 1980 AG from the St. Gallen Rhine Valley has stood for uncompromising quality in Swiss furniture manufacturing for over four decades.
Swiss furniture manufacturing. What began in 1980 with Heinz Baumann is continued today by Marc Künzle with the same passion: the creation of authentic, long-lasting pieces of furniture that consciously stand out from short-lived mass productions.
This philosophy manifests itself particularly impressively in the ‘Massello’ table. This innovation combines traditional craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology: long solid walnut planks are bent into a fascinating shape using a sophisticated steam bending process – without any metal connecting elements. A masterpiece that celebrates the natural beauty of the material.
Ecological responsibility is firmly anchored in the company’s DNA: for every tree used, the manufactory plants a new one. ‘Every piece of furniture that leaves our factory is a small work of art,’ emphasises Marc Künzle. ‘Our designs are created out of a passion for wood as a raw material and the desire to treat this wonderful resource with respect and gratitude.’
A total of 45 labels are represented in the ‘Furniture’ category alone at this year’s Blickfang in Zurich; there are also other exhibitors in the ‘Home Accessories’ category. However, BLICKFANG Zurich is much more than just a furniture fair. The jewellery and fashion sectors are also well represented. The jewellery sector in particular clearly shows how creatively designers today are able to transform the ‘adornment of the human body’ into wearable objects. Two examples from a total of 23 labels illustrate this.
Hana Kim’s golden future
As a global resource, gold has carried a seal of quality for centuries. It stands for prosperity, high value and quality. Hana Kim from Zurich utilises the properties of the material to create something completely new. Inspired by natural structures, the label of the same name produces innovative creations through elaborate, traditional craftsmanship. Kim works with high-quality, ethically sourced materials such as recycled gold and conflict-free gemstones in her workshop in Zurich.
The young designer’s innovative approach is also evident in her ‘Metamorphosis’ collection, in addition to her special focus on sustainability. Transformable pieces of jewellery that play with the idea of change as an enduring part of nature and society. The pieces can be worn and combined in different ways, which emphasises their versatility and longevity.
Anna Schmid jewellery – inspired by dance and music
The Basel-based Anna Schmid Schmuck studio is already a regular at the BLICKFANG in Zurich. The jewellery pieces in her collection are inspired by dance and music, studies of nature or the shapes and colours of precious stones. In Anna Schmid’s free works, she is interested in the tension between two impulses, between curvature and deepening, between movement and stillness.
In Anna Schmid’s workshop in Basel’s old town, she creates sensual jewellery objects and wearable small sculptures with a special charisma using the finest craftsmanship. The transition from jewellery to art object is always fluid.
She sees creating jewellery for people as a gratifying task. As a goldsmith, she repeatedly witnesses very personal stories, biographies and stages of life that give rise to the acquisition of a special piece of jewellery, she writes about herself and her working methods.
Admission prices and opening hours
FR 15 NOV | 12 – 20
SA 16 NOV | 11 – 19
Sat 17 NOV | 11 – 18
Day ticket: CHF 25, concessions*: CHF 23 (for pupils/students and people with disabilities with valid ID, no concessions for senior citizens), children up to 14 years free; unfortunately dogs are not allowed.
Tickets are available in advance here; only a limited number of tickets will be available on site.
Venue and directions
Kongresshaus, Claridenstrasse 5 8002 Zürich
Car parks nearby:
Park Hyatt Zürich: Beethovenstrasse 21; 8002 Zürich: 4,00 CHF/h
AMAG Parking AG: Bleicherweg; Beethovenstrasse 35; 8002 Zürich: 4,00 CHF/h
Stadt Zürich: General-Guisan-Quai 40; Innenstadt; 8002 Zürich: 3,00 CHF/h
Public transport – from the main railway station
Tram: Linie 6, 7, 13: to Stockerstrasse + 350m Laufweg
S – Bahn: S7, S12, S15, S16, S23: to Stadelhofen + 900m Laufweg
S – Bahn: S2, S8, S24: to Zürich Enge + 700m Laufweg
