Felix Burrichter INTERVIEW WITH FUNCTIONAL ART CO-FOUNDERS JAVIER PERES AND BENOÎT WOLFROM

Tutor documentation 2018-12-17

Felix Burrichter, tutor of finished Temporary Programme Designing Democracy (2014-2016), interviewed Functional Art founders Benoît Wolfrom and Javier Peres for PIN-UP Online. The interview preceded Funtional Art's solo show by Eindhoven-based artist Theéophilie Blandet at Design Miami 2018.

How would you define “functional art”?

We like to describe functional art as “design that crosses the line” — but you could also describe it as art that has been made with the intention of function. Function is always at the core of the pieces, but it shouldn’t stop there. The work we’re interested in always pushes the line between art and design. The beauty of Functional Art is that we’re very free and open to different possibilities. We work with both designers and artists. If you look back to the earlier 20th century, there was a lot more cross-pollination between fields — design, art, and even non-Western art, what we now call classic African art. And if you look at someone like Peggy Guggenheim, for example, she was always commissioning artists to make functional pieces for her gallery. We’ve now entered a phase where people need to collaborate once more if they want to survive. So having these two entities — Peres Projects and Functional Art — allows us to explore many different realms.

Read more: https://pinupmagazine.org/articles/interview-with-functional-art-co-founders-javier-peres-and-benoit-wolfrom

Felix Burrichter is Editor & Creative Director of PIN-UP, self described as "The only biannual Magazine for Architectural Entertainment"

Read an interview with Burrichter http://gayletter.com/at-home-with-felix-burrichter/