A convergence is underway between the worlds of art and design – at the heart of Salone Raritas, the new section of Salone del Mobile – centered on “collectible design,” which brings together historicized design and contemporary creation. It is a new market whose dynamics closely resemble those of the art world.
“If I were to define collectible design today, I would describe it as a free, authorial language that transcends function,” observes Nina Yashar, founder of Milan-based gallery Nilufar and a key figure in the recognition of this form of collecting. “This expressive form emerges from personal research, and transforms each object into narrative, memory, and identity. Material, craftsmanship, and an experimental approach are not mere tools, but integral to the designer’s voice.”
These are often unique pieces or limited editions, crafted with refined materials or experimental techniques that are difficult to replicate. Unlike the contemporary art market, which is grounded in the artist’s signature and institutional recognition, collectible design often develops through the narrative of the project, material research, and the ability of objects to merge innovation with functionality, guided by the criterion of museum quality.
“For me, a museum-quality piece is not simply beautiful or rare – it is an object that tells a story, carries a research process and a clear idea, and communicates through materials, craftsmanship, and form,” Yashar continues. “Recognizing exceptional design requires a holistic gaze: one must grasp the narrative, the care with which it was made, and the impact it has on the viewer.”
When, in 1998, Yashar first juxtaposed antique Oriental rugs – her family business – with Scandinavian design in the exhibition Swedish Rugs and Scandinavian Furniture at her Milan space, this curatorial approach was still unprecedented. It reached full maturity in 2015 with Nilufar Depot, a former industrial site reimagined as a stage for design and experimentation.
“Since then, I have consistently sought to build dialogues across disciplines, pairing rugs, furniture, and diverse elements in unconventional ways,” the gallerist explains. “My approach stems from a desire to move beyond traditional categories and to present design as a tool for storytelling, for creating dialogue, and for shaping everyday experience.”
The international dimension
Beyond Italy, one gallery that has exemplified this approach is Friedman Benda, founded in New York in 2007. Over the years, it has cultivated an intense and ongoing dialogue between design, art, and craft, becoming a key reference point in the contemporary collectible design landscape.
“We inaugurated the gallery with a solo exhibition by Ettore Sottsass, whose extraordinarily expansive vision embraced diverse materials and philosophies, immediately establishing an open approach for the gallery,” says Jennifer Olshin, partner at Friedman Benda.
Over time, the gallery has exhibited works ranging from 1950s paintings and ceramics to contemporary sculptural chairs by Raphael Navot, demonstrating remarkable diversity while remaining true to its original ethos.
Olshin highlights the gallery’s long-term relationships with designers such as Joris Laarman and Andrea Branzi, following their evolution and presenting works like the “Bone” series in museum contexts before their public release. “Today we continue to work across generations, from historical archives to emerging talents, creating networks of inspiration between different practices.”
The evolution of the market
Shifting sensibilities within market dynamics have also played a role: collectors from various fields have increasingly come to recognize the value of unique or limited-edition works, while galleries and fairs have legitimized this reading of design as a field of expression and experimentation.
Yashar emphasizes how art and design now share the same cultural function: “When I opened the gallery in the late 1970s, in Milan design was seen primarily as functional,” she recalls, noting how, over time, designers began to express themselves with greater force and originality, infusing their work with a poetic and singular dimension comparable to that of artworks.
In France, where there is a deep respect for fine craftsmanship, a longstanding network of galleries has traditionally dealt in period furnishings, expanding since the 1970s to include the twentieth century and contributing to its recognition – one need only consider figures such as Philippe Jousse and Patrick Seguin, who in the 1990s championed the work of Jean Prouvé. Yet the market is not limited to canonical masters.
“Today, design exists within an ecosystem of galleries, international fairs, museums, collectors, auction houses, dealers, and antiquarians, and the public is becoming increasingly knowledgeable and demanding,” notes French dealer Benoît Ramognino of Velvet Galerie in Saint-Ouen, who specializes in utopian architecture and furniture from the 1950s to the 1980s. “I discovered 1960s and 1970s design around 1988 and was immediately drawn to this aesthetic, which marked a break from the more traditional world of antiques.”
His vision was to build a gallery centered on pop culture and utopian design. “I began with inflatable furniture by Quasar Khanh, and then moved toward utopian architectures such as Maison Futuro by Matti Suuronen, from 1968.” He too sees the boundary between contemporary art and design dissolving within collectible design: “Limited editions are destined to be collected; unique pieces are rarely available on the market except by very well-known creators, and increasingly become museum pieces. Small editions, as well as vintage or contemporary limited-edition furniture, constitute the art and design market of tomorrow.”
It is precisely in this context that curatorial and narrative construction become essential in transforming a design object into a collectible work. “It is not simply a matter of displaying a piece, but of creating a context that conveys its story, research, and the designer’s intent,” Yashar concludes. “The curator connects the work to its context, to the market, and to the history of design, revealing its true collectible value.”
