Interview with Eckhard Beger

Eckhard Beger ("EB") interviewed on Monday, 29 March.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

EB : I have been working full time as a designer since 2010 and thereafter I founded my own company ArteNemus. Since I started, my creations have been awarded more than 25 international design awards in Italy, the UK or the USA and were exhibited at Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan in 2016, at Palazzo Michiel as part of Venice Design in the context of the art and architecture biennale in 2016 and 2017, at PAD and at Artgenève from 2018 to 2020. I was educated as an engineer at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich Switzerland and hold an MBA from INSEAD in France.

How did you become a designer?

EB : Early in my life, I had a very broad range of interests such as aviation and technology on one side and music, photography and art on the other. When I had to take a decision regarding my studies, I made the rational choice studying engineering and business administration. This led me to a corporate career in the technology industry. Over time however, I emotionally felt the lack of a creative and artistic dimension. I therefore started investigating possibilities to change my professional focus and decided to join the luxury watch industry. With time, my inner urge to be more creative became stronger and, having designed objects and furniture in the past, which attracted attention, the idea matured to setup my own design business. This is how I began my “third professional life” as a designer to express my creativity.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

EB : For me the main corner points of a design are its conceptual, aesthetic and functional characteristics as well its manufacturability and market potential. During my design process there are three main aspects I give importance to. When starting a new project, I first want to have a clear abstract concept in my mind before starting to sketch. For example regarding my latest armchair Cubus, the idea emerged in my mind to use a slanted cube as the base for the design. I devote a significant amount of time to the search of these ideas, which I often find in geometry, mathematics and ornamentations, in modern and postmodern architecture, as well as in the microscopic and macroscopic realms of nature and space. Regarding the second aspect, when translating the abstract idea into a sketch, I give style, proportions, curves and shapes particular attention. Thereby my engineering eye allows me to find the right balance between aesthetics and the creations’ structural integrity and manufacturability. This process first takes place on a sheet of paper and thereafter on CAD system as it allows drawing variations more easily. Using different materials, textures, colors and finishes can completely change the character of the same design. I therefore spend increasingly more time experimenting with different combinations thereof. Whereas, in the past I tended to assess these variations mainly on the computer with renders, today I increasingly like to experiment in the workshop.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

EB : There is a multitude of emotions I feel when designing. I feel a mix of curiosity, attention and interest when a new design concept emerges in my mind. My attitude is driven by excitement, investigation as well as openness and I have a more analytical mindset. During the design process itself – the translation of the concept to the real design – there is a mix of emotions from excitement to interrogation over frustration to satisfaction, based on the project’s progress. It is clear that the whole design process is not a smooth one. If feel more satisfaction at the end of the design process when I feel that I was able to translate a good conceptual idea into an esthetically pleasing and functional creation. The strongest emotion occurs however is when I physically see a newly manufactured creation for the first time.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

EB : I believe that my intellectual and cultural curiosity (I enjoy travelling and experiencing foreign cultures), my broad range of interests in the artistic (photography, design, music, art) and in the technical domain all have contributed shaping my approach to design. I also believe that I have a natural eye for shapes and proportions, which helps me a lot during the design process.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

EB : In the past years, my design style has evolved from being based on complex organic shapes to more geometric compositions. It is an evolution towards a more minimalistic, more essential design style, one that also leads to less complex constructions. However, I always like to have a clear conceptual idea at the start of any design project. My choice of materials has also evolved from the use of natural woods towards the use of more contemporaneous materials such aluminum, glass, leather, laquered wood or patinated bronze. Having designed mainly pieces of furniture manufactured in small series, I am considering design projects with creations to be manufactured in larger quantities, the thought and design process being very different.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

EB : The world of design and art is very diverse and evolving rapidly. I therefore believe that it is important to have a good understanding of the trends in different segments of the market. At the same time, I feel that it is important to keep one’s own original design language and style.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

EB : I would like to share one approach I have been using to feed my own inspiration and imagination and, which has been helpful in several projects. I like to explore the world and nature on a microscopic and macroscopic level. This allowed me to discover shapes, color combinations and textures that served as inspirations for some of my projects. To give you some examples, lava streams from volcanoes have distinct shapes and textures as well as striking color combinations (anthracite-black and red-orange), which I plan to use in one project as a finish. Another example is the Osteospermum flower also called African daisy, which has amazing color combinations. A third example is the shape of galaxies, which I used as an inspiration for the design of a table.

What is your day to day look like?

EB : Every day starts with two caffè espresso, checking news and design news. I have a medium term plan which I break down into a weekly plan and a “to do” list. Activities range from creative design activities and discussions with the manufacturing partner to marketing or administrative activities, interacting with (potential) customers or meeting with the gallery. I normally try to rapidly get rid of the administrative tasks to free my mind for creative activities.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

EB : I personally follow a number of designers, design galleries, magazines and blogs. I believe that it is important to have knowledge of current developments and design trends in the sense of being informed but not as a direct guidance for my next work. I feel that it is very important to develop and maintain a personal design style.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

EB : The first aspect I am taking into consideration is the general design intent. A design to be manufactured in large series should be evaluated differently than a unique piece manufactured by an art craftsman. Starting from there I will look at the design’s conceptual, aesthetic and functional qualities as well as the way it is manufactured. This will allow me to make an analytical evaluation. I will also make a personal, subjective and emotional evaluation based on my personal preferences and the way I feel. One aspect I particularly look at is if a design is harmonious or if on the contrary there is an esthetic tension created by a conscious choice by the designer.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

EB : Designing is an iterative process. During this process, I like to put a design aside for a day or two before evaluating it again with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. For myself, I call this process “making the design age” as it allows step by step bringing the design to a higher degree of maturity. In the past, I would invest a very long time in this process to improve proportions, until I felt I couldn’t improve the design anymore. Today, I tend to include working on materials, textures, colors and finishes in that process.

What is your biggest design work?

EB : Black Labyrinth and Labyrinth, both chest of drawers, are the two creations I consider the most important. With their understated geometric outline, they are inspired by Asian medicine cabinets as well as by the Bauhaus style. Their very graphic marquetry work adds much esthetic tension to the creations. Both also have a complex drawer design. Hiding their extension mechanisms as much as possible from the eye was a difficult challenge. Another creation that I would like to mention is Commodia, which is a chest of drawers based on organic shapes. It is a contemporary interpretation of a Barock chest of drawers. Manufacturing the complex three-dimensional surfaces was a significant challenge involving 5 axis numerical machines as well as 3D veneer. Labyrinth and Commodia were exhibited at Palazzo Michiel in Venice and Labyrinth at Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan. Currently I am working on a new armchair “Cubus” based on a slanted cube. I am thereby exploring the use of different materials, colors, textures and finishes to convey the armchair a different character. In addition, I am working on a stool and a sofa based on the same concept.

Who is your favourite designer?

EB : I strongly appreciate Santiago Calatrava and Zaha Hadid for their architectural style using organic shapes. To me Calatrava’s creations seem more inspired by nature while I perceive Hadid’s creations as more abstract and mathematical. On the other hand, I also appreciate the rational minimalism of Walter Gropius and Charles-Edouard Jeanneret. Among contemporary designers, I like among others, the works of designer Giacomo Ravagli and Charles Trevelyan for their strong character.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

EB : Music has always been very important in my life and I have been playing the guitar since I was a teenager. Today, playing the instrument puts me into a relaxed state of mind while at the same time giving me energy. I consider music as food for the soul and I do listen to music during certain creative activities. I am the lucky owner of two beautiful classical guitars, one by Ignacio Fleta & Hijos and the other by Paulino Bernabe.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

EB : I am designing my creations on my own. However, with regards to manufacturing and distribution, I am working with partner companies. When searching for a manufacturing partner, it is essential that the partner has a compatible aesthetic and construction approach and understands my philosophy regarding the quality of craftsmanship of the piece to be created. The approach to manufacturing is completely different when creating a piece to be manufactured in a limited series as compared to a piece manufactured in large quantities. With regard to the commercial side, I am distributing my designs through my own company ArteNemus and am working closely with Gallery Patrick Gutknecht in Geneva.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

EB : Architects and designers contribute to society through their works and creations by transcending the functions of their creations with their esthetic language and thereby creating a world that is more pleasing to live in. My contribution towards supporting young designers and craftsmen was to organize internships when projects would allow. This has led to fruitful exchanges.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

EB : For me, participating in design competitions like A’design Awards has three positive implications. Firstly, obtaining a design award is a positive reward and strong encouragement for a personal design work. Secondly, it allows rating oneself compared to other designers. Thirdly being awarded at a design competition has a positive public relations impact through press releases, catalogues and other PR tools.

Eckhard Beger Profile