The VIA Creation Grants

For the maiden run of the 'Meuble Paris' furniture fair, and pursuing its annual Creation Assistance programme, VIA has presented the Carte Blanche grant awarded to designer Jean-Louis Frechin, the ten Project Assistance grants prototypes, as well as the new Partnership Project 'Creation and Skilled Trades', which brought together designer Philippe Nigro and the Compagnons du Devoir journeymen.

The VIA Creation Grants
VIA (Valorisation de l'Innovation dans l'Ameublement) was formed by the French furniture manufacturers and the ministry of Industry in order to promote and contribute to innovation in the field of the 'living space'. In the past 28 years, since its foundation, VIA has earned a solid reputation world-wide for revealing young talents and enabling many designers to do design work in the field of furnishing. This activity of stimulation, which is open to creators of all origins and cultures, contributes to making France - and Paris in particular - a platform for the expression of international creation in design.

The 10 Project Assistance grants
VIA analyses unsolicited research projects that are submitted by designers every year. A committee composed of well-known figures form industry, distribution, creation, education and the press selects those that appear to be the most relevant and innovative in terms of design, technique, and new maerials. For the first time this year, the quetion of the after-life of objects and their impact o the environment governed choice. VIA finances the development o these projects to working prototype stage, ready for production. Here we introduce three of the selected projects:

'Fossile' - storage unit by Mostapha El Oulhani, Jérôme Garzon, Fred Sionis, Paris
The honey-combed egg-shapped terra cotta modules of 'Fossile' can be stacked in random array and interlock by means of exernal track grooves and build a structure of storage units. When modules become obsolete, powedered terra cotta can be recycled as raw material.

'Pull Over' - standing lamp by Bina Baitel, Paris
Pull Over is made of Lightex interwoven luminous textile tied at the base and flaring verically upwards. An external coat of silicone ensures the rigidity and opacity of the cone thus formed. The shape reminds one of a blossom that opens up and closes again. Fully lit the lamp cone is upside down, and the treament of its optical fibres enables an enlargement of the halo from the 21 LED's while limiting electricity consumption.

'Particule' - stool by Adrien Rovero, Lausanne
Adrien Rovero has borrowed the industrial technology used for making loading pallets. His stool is made of compressed and moulded wood chips. Adhesion of the wood chips is ensured by a natural adhesive called tannin. With its compact dimensions, the stool responds to the constraints of the material used. All three legs are made using the same mould, which facilitates mass production. The stools are stackable.