Martino Gamper goals to attach individuals by means of his designs — spanning object, meals, books, and concepts — that mix the boundaries of artwork and design. Primarily based in London, the Italian designer considers design on the crux of life. On this interview, Gamper explores the position of design, his position as a thinker and a maker, and what it means to create in a post-AI period. Gamper joins designer Max Lamb within the Sydney Opera Home inaugural Artist to Artist experimental talks collection.
Emma-Kate Wilson: Thanks for the chat right this moment, Martino; I’d love to listen to the way you first received into design?
Martino Gamper: I began as an apprentice doing joinery and cupboard making in Italy. I used to be very younger, 14 years outdated. From there, I went to artwork faculty In Vienna and did Sculpture and Design, after which I went to London, for my Masters in London on the Royal School.
EKW: Do you assume being in London knowledgeable your design strategy?
MG: Sure, very a lot. I arrived by means of Cool Britania — an entire new artwork scene and design scene from the start of the 90s/mid-90s. It was actually buzzing with a number of alternatives and numerous emphasis on the inventive arts. In a method, it was filled with concepts and creativity. However then, numerous trade had closed within the 80s. It meant one needed to undertake completely different concepts to make issues your self and be resourceful. That’s what made me open a workshop, and I developed my very own concepts.
EKW: Are you able to inform me extra concerning the ‘100 Chairs in 100 Days’ mission?
MG: ‘100 Chairs in 100 Days’ was a analysis mission into being resourceful. Within the metropolis, there wasn’t a lot trade, so I needed to useful resource the place I may discover, when it comes to supplies. There have been these chairs and issues that I discovered on the road. It was a analysis mission about creativity and the use and reuse of supplies.
The chairs all have their very own tales. However for me, it’s an entire household. It was about spending a day of my life, making a chair in 100 days. It’s concerning the course of, which was unorthodox in a manner, as a result of it wasn’t about designing a chair after which making it, discovering good makes use of, to persuade a producer to make it. It was advert hoc and spontaneous, utilizing discovered objects. It was about the concept design generally is a translation of a translation. It was steady, uncooked. And a landmark artwork mission for many individuals; it gave inspiration to have a look at design differently. The best way we use supplies.
I’ve been utilizing numerous Bentwood chairs. They’ve at all times been an curiosity of mine. They have been actually the primary industrially produced chairs. 100,000 of them have been made. It’s one thing I preserve going again to for components.
EKW: And that matches in nicely together with your apply, the stability between hand crafted items and items for mass manufacturing. I’m to listen to the nuances between these two?
MG: I’ve numerous personal commissions and handcrafted items. So, I really feel that there’s nonetheless a necessity on this world for issues to be made by hand and to be refined and to be one-off. I feel they’re form of like poetry, no? They’re not there to be mass-produced, however there to be as a part of our character after our life. There’s numerous emphasis on particulars, and on materials.
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EKW: What are your ideas on present design actions?
MG: In the intervening time, design is at a crossroads. In a method, crafts and artisans are coming again into it once more. It’s not nearly trade. Lots of designers have additionally began branching out into completely different fields of design, not simply furnishings and product, but additionally different elements, like social design. There are additionally far too many merchandise consumed. There are new methods of taking a look at design, when it comes to supplies and sustainability. It’s our new emphasis. And, after all, AI is coming, if not already. Meaning, what does it imply to be an writer and authorship? Perhaps it makes issues quite a bit quicker at producing stunning shapes, however possibly design is extra than simply shapes. Perhaps it’s about different feelings as nicely.
EKW: Sure, it appears like we’re on a cusp with AI and expertise. However no one actually is aware of the way it’s going to go. It’s all a bit unknown.
MG: On one aspect, it’s a tremendous device for us, and the opposite aspect is, clearly, will probably be much less neat for thus many designers. It will likely be a totally new recreation. I do imagine that creativity will probably be wanted, and possibly design will probably be extra as a creator and as an editor. AI simply spits out sure concepts, however it nonetheless wants somebody to decide. What is an effective or much less fascinating thought? So, there’s the concept the design job would possibly cut up into two completely different jobs. One is the one who prompts the AI to generate one thing, and the second is the one who edits and tries to make choices concerning the concepts.
EKW: That’s an effective way to place it with AI, utilizing it as a device.
MG: One factor stays: with or with out AI, numerous what we do is we ask ourselves the motive. We have to have doubts as creatives and designers. It’s a robust device to verify what you’re doing. And it’s part of us to maintain checking on ourselves what our design course of is. So, we doubt, and due to this fact we carry on pushing. That’s one half that possibly AI hasn’t actually finished but. There’s little speak about doubt and AI as a result of packages are simply sure and no; it’s binary. It will likely be fascinating to know how that works as a result of numerous the creativity is about designers and artists doubting themselves. Doubting creates fascinating questions. Fascinating briefs as nicely for creativity, and the way will we translate that into AI or different types of intelligence.
EKW: After which additionally the handcrafted will probably be celebrated much more.
MG: I do assume that there will probably be an enormous revival of crafts. We’ve already seen an enormous revival, however possibly when the entire world will go on to automated processes and standardised. As a result of at one level, all the pieces goes to be fairly standardised, I think about. So possibly then there’s a quest for extra creativity, other ways of deciphering that.
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EKW: Have you ever received any fascinating initiatives that you simply’re engaged on?
MG: Sure, I’ve been invited to be a part of the Italian artwork present, the Quadriennale, which is each 4 years in Rome. It’s an enormous Italian artwork present, and I’m a part of 5 artists who’re going to be working on this huge Palazzo, Esposizioni to create an area.
After which, I’m going to Milan in two weeks, so I’m presenting some new initiatives for Design Week. One is a mattress with an Italian firm referred to as Bolzan. It’s a pleasant time to meet up with the design world. It’s a tremendous place to see design. There’s a lot of it.
Within the combine, there are at all times personal commissions. And I’m at all times engaged on books. Books are an enormous a part of what I do as nicely. I’m a part of a e-book collective referred to as Dent De Leone. And we publish books of artists and designers. Max [Lamb] as nicely — he’s finished three books with us.
EKW: Sure, and also you’ll be speaking with Max in Sydney, who you could have a protracted historical past with. Have you ever received some concepts that you simply’re going to be speaking about within the discuss?
MG: In London, we now have a small design group, and the way we relate to one another. Max was a pupil of mine. Max is process-based as nicely—so we’ll be speaking about course of, making, supplies, type, and concerning the social elements of design.
Max Lamb and Martino Gamper’s Artist to Artist discuss on the Sydney Opera Home happened on 26 March 2025. See future talks right here.
