Jill Bokor on the Sixth Edition of The Salon Art + Design Fair

The Salon Art + Design takes place in New York November 9–13 at the Park Avenue Armory. Now in its sixth edition, the fair brings together more than 50 galleries and a range of artworks, design pieces, rarities, and curiosities. It is designed to reflect its collectors, who are unafraid of mixing genres, materials, eras, or movements. Whitewaller spoke with The Salon’s executive director, Jill Bokor, about some new partnerships this year, such as with Giampiero Bodino, and what discoveries await.

WHITEWALLER: The fair features participants from 11 countries, including 32 international galleries. Has the fair become more international in makeup over the years? How does that affect the dynamics?

JILL BOKOR: The international quality of the fair resides in the material presented as much as in the geography of the participating galleries. We are welcoming our first-ever exhibitors from Denmark and Spain, ensuring material that hasn’t been shown at The Salon before. Both bring contemporary design. On the historic side, we’re thrilled to be joined by Rossella Colombari of Milan, Lost City Arts of Brussels, and Magen H of New York. For The Salon, one of the tricks is to balance the vintage with the contemporary; these three galleries with focus on mid- and late 20th-century European design address that particular niche and with a nod to the U.S., some wonderful New York galleries. The effect is both to broaden and deepen our contemplation of what today’s collectors seek.

WW: Can we expect to see any solo presentations this year or specially curated booths?

JB: Noted interior designer Amy Lau joins the fair this year—a first for her and for The Salon! “Atmosphere” is a dream of a living room, which she calls the “new nouveau,” employing creations of great designers such as David Wiseman, Joseph Walsh, Xavier Lust, and Michael Coffey, whose sculptural walnut fireplace will serve as a focal point for the room. Mazzoleni Galleria d’Arte brings an extraordinary selection of Italian art—note a rare Giacomo Balla oil, dated 1925. Joan B Mirviss, one of the world’s great specialists in contemporary Japanese ceramics, curates the work of Sakiyama Takayuki.

WW: For the first time in the U.S., Giampiero Bodino will present a jewelry exhibition in The Armory’s Library Room. Can you tell us more about the exhibit and the relation between jewelry and design at The Salon?

JB: Unlike other design fairs, The Salon does not admit jewelry galleries. While several of our dealers present small amounts of single designer jewelry, we prefer to highlight one exceptional jewelry exhibition. This year we welcome Milanese designer Giampiero Bodino, who will introduce one-of-a-kind pieces created expressly for this exhibition—utilizing elegant metals and colorful stones. The Maison’s style and mission—striving for beauty in design, passion for detail and quality, uniqueness and eclecticism perfectly fit The Salon’s element of surprise and novelty.