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DESIGNERS

MARTI GUIXÉ

Martí Guixé

Martí Guixé

Martí Guixé, ex designer

Martí Guixé began by studying interior design in Barcelona, before moving to Milan to pursue product design. “In 1990 I had a Studio with a partner for three years, doing product design, very hardcore design” he says. But in 1993, he sold his half of the practice and left Barcelona for Berlin, where he spend most of the 90s honing his approach away from classic industrial design, towards a more critical praxis.

After Berlin, his design thinking was best expressed in his exhibitions in galleries. His return to Barcelona was in 1997 with an exhibition in the city’s H20 Gallery called SPAMT Techno Tapas. This exhibition was also the first sign of Guise’s ongoing fascination with food as a design medium.

After this exhibition, Guises reputation grew quickly. He began to design products, including the Flamp, produced in 1998 with the H20 Gallery or the Do Frame tape, a sticky tape printed with an exuberant baroque pattern that can be stuck to the wall as an ersatz picture frame. This and the Do Scratch lamp were both produced with cult Dutch manufacturer Droog.

Among his last creations are the Cau Lamp (2008) produced by the Italian company Danese or the Xarxa Seat (2008), a seat, made of 5 different pillows of different materials and characteristics, but united together, so that you can use it as a bed, a sofa or a chair.

Martí Guixé has developed a new commercial project: Mixing-Media, a Barcelona furniture label presented by the Room 00 exhibition. (Valencia/Tokyo 08)

This Catalan designer also has broad experience in the interior design field. For example, the latest museum shop from the firm Alessi in Paris (2008), a space designed to be visited whilst touching and purchasing the exhibits at the same time.

Another original interior design work from Guixé is the Candy Restaurant in Tokyo (2007), a unique restaurant where a chef prepares dishes produced from sweets served to diners with sampling instructions.

His work has also extended to consultancy. His work with shoe manufacturer Camper, which began in 1998, exemplifies his attitude. In a series of interiors, products and branding exercises, he has attempted to take a different approach to global marketing, emphasising the distinct local identity of the Mallorcan company as its unique selling point. His association with Camper began with the opening of two stores designed by him, in London and Barcelona and recently in New York.

His designs, installations and performances have been shown at many international group shows as well as solo projects. Among them, MOMA, Centre Georges Pompidou, Design Museum London, Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève, National Art Center Tokyo and Museum für angewandte Kunst. He has received several awards such as the Ciutat de Barcelona Design Prize (1999) and the National Design Prize from the Generalitat de Catalunya (2007).

Martí Guixé is author of the following books: “Martí Guixé 1:1” “Martí Guixé Cook Book” and “Don´t buy it if you don´t need it. All Martí Guixé’s Camper Commodityscapes” and “Blank Book”.

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