Nomad St. Moritz, the boutique fair of collectible design

A pivot location in the context of an increasingly global and itinerant fair: Nomad returns to St. Moritz for the ninth time, a few months after the Abu Dhabi appointment and after all the other appointments that since 2017 have taken the kermesse with a collectible design focus around the world. The Engadin remains a staple in this programming, and now lends itself to welcoming its visitors from 12 to 15 February inside Villa Beaulieu, formerly Klinik Gut, in the city centre, with some new features. "We are expecting more and more international guests, also thanks to the effect of the Abu Dhabi edition, the most successful edition ever, with more than 8,000 attendees from all over the world among collectors, architects, designers, curators and enthusiasts," says Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, co-founder of Nomad. "The fair is in a new phase of development, included since last summer in a global growth trajectory, which will see it land in the United States for the first time in the Hamptons in the summer. Meanwhile, St. Moritz remains our flagship,' he explains.

The four floors of the Villa Beaulieu will always have collectible design as its main focus, including selected galleries and artists from around the world, but there will also be art galleries and four jewellery designers, for a total of 30 exhibitors, as well as a pop-up restaurant on the ground floor, led by award-winning chef Douglas McMaster, former owner of Silo London.

"We balance new projects with galleries that are now a regular presence, but know how to renew themselves: balance and selection are crucial to keep visitors' curiosity high. Each participation must be well thought out and promoted in the right room,' Lecompte continues. Thus, between debuts and confirmations, Margherita Castiglioni from Milan and Sorgin Gallery from San Sebastián will arrive this year, which will compare furnishings by masters of Brazilian modernism such as Joaquim Tenreiro and José Zanine Caldas with playful creations by contemporary authors including Adeline Halot and Eduardo Chillida. The Le Lab gallery from Cairo and Maisonjaune Studio from Paris, which brings sculptor Christian Lapie and his poetic wooden trunks. And again, Pierre Marie Giraud from Brussels, an influential voice on contemporary ceramics, who will also present the Duo iuga table, created with archistars Herzog & de Meuron. Art will see among the exhibitors the Robilant+Voena galleries with experimental works by Lucio Fontana and Pablo Picasso, and Secci, with two-dimensional pieces by Raymond Hains, Giò Pomodoro and Paul Jenkins. Fine jewellery is represented by the creations of Fernando Jorge, Taffin, Nikos Koulis and Eliane Fattel.

Among the names returning is the Milanese gallery Nilufar, which will be exhibiting both at Villa Beaulieu and within the project - also linked to Nomad - Yellow Apartment, an eclectic 1970s architecture designed by Ico and Luisa Parisi, where it will be present with two pieces from Martino Gamper's PostForma collection, born from the revisitation of vintage furniture designed by Ico Parisi himself. "I have trusted this fair since its first edition in 2018, recognising its authentic vision and curatorial sensibility capable of enhancing design in all its forms," explains Nilufar founder Nina Yashar. "Also in this edition, we have brought the dialogue between contemporary design and vintage icons to the stage. The selection of pieces is conceived as a layered narrative, where each work contributes to cross connections in time and space. Among the new additions, besides Gamper, are the creations of French designer Etienne Marc, the Artichoke wall lamp series by Lola Montes and a selection of vintage pieces by Gabriella Crespi and José Zanine Caldas".

Then, as usual, there will be a partner from the fashion world. For this edition, it is Armani, which will participate with a special project curated by Abby Bangser, founder of Object & Thing: it stages the interaction between London-based artists Jane Crisp and Yuta Segawa with the Armani/Casa world. "There is a deep relationship in this collaboration: Armani is not just a nominal partner, but an active one, embodying our vision," Lecompte points out. "In addition, we will open Giorgio Armani's house in St. Moritz for the first time for limited visits and talks, and the brand will then hold an exclusive ball on Saturday 14 February, to which Nomad Circle guests will be invited." The latter is the fair's VIP programme, which is activated for each location: a limited number of people on invitation have the opportunity to enjoy collateral experiences during the days of the event, so as to discover the territory, in this case the Engadine, with exclusive access to houses, private collections, museums, guided tours by architects and conversations with some of the most authoritative voices in the world of design and art, to create new connections between collectors and professionals. "The collectible market is evolving, growing: general interest is increasing. Nomad is a travelling boutique fair, a format that is appreciated because it is flexible and manages to move according to context, chasing emerging markets that give confidence to the sector. Often the audience is numerically smaller than at large fairs, but targeted and interested, so it happens that the gallery conversion rate is very high: those who visit Nomad often buy," Lecompte concludes.