LAB #3(42) 2008

LAB interview _

My encounter with Domeau & P é r è s occured through the publication of a sketch of Jim in the magazine Intramuros. We met informally several times and eventually arranged an appointement during the exhibition «French Design: the Art of Furniture 1986/1996» in Boulogne-Billancourt. Jim was our first project. What immediately seemed exciting to me about Domeau & P é r è s was that the world of furniture production was almost entirely new to them, so that through our projects, we were going to engage in an adven- ture together. I also perceived that fundamental curiosity I still value in them. Jim is a project we truly carried together and that developed thanks to their specific savoir-faire. We had to go beyond small scale artisanal production, since the idea of hospitality also called for an affordable price. We presented Jim in April 1998 at the Furni- ture Salon in Milan, as part of the context of the first «Salone Satellite». I accompanied Jim, with Bruno and Philippe. I stayed in Milan for the whole week. It was exhilarating. I saw how people first passed by and then turned around, came back to the stand, and paused to think for a minute, finally smiling in understanding and agreement. There was a very warm atmosphere and Jim was widely published in the press. The public really understood that Jim was meant to be a space of its own, clearly indicated by the lamp and the alarm clock, and not just a common extra bed, so that the name «Hospital- ity Column», which means so much to me, was perceived as something natural. During the first presentation of the prototype, we already received enough orders from Italy, Germany, Portugal and The United States to be able to launch a first set into production. The first version was made of alveolate cardboard, a very resistant and light material primarily used in aeronautic industry, and was covered in a vinyl-cloth. Requests for exhibitions followed. An exhibi- tion – my first one – was organized in June 1998 by Inez Franksen, a passionate supporter of Dieter Rahms, at Modus, his shop in Berlin. It gave me the opportunity to meet Stefan Wewerka and to see Oliver Vogt and Hermann Weizenegger again, as well as Hans, who was passing through Berlin. Later, at Colette in Paris, with the support of Milan and Sarah, always faithful, we presented a second version with new types of coatings and a set of more brilliant colours. There was barley water at the opening, my favourite beverage. These were first steps for myself as well as for Domeau & P é r è s. In 2002, we introduced tufted felt, a material that helped the object to be lighter and thus easier to move. Today, Jim is a classic in the Domeau & P é r è s- catalogue, and its best-seller. Yet we continue to work on new developments. Jim truly is a living product/project.

84 №3 _ 42 _ 2008