ICONS BY ARTIFORT
Inspirational design since 1890
In 1953 Artifort took its first step along the path of innovative design with the Pinguïn, designed by Theo Ruth. To celebrate Artifort’s 125-year anniversary, this iconic armchair has returned in a limited edition. Portrait of a come-back company dedicated to fun and functional design.
‘I always describe Dutchness as staring dreamily into the distance with your feet planted firmly on the ground’
Inspirational design since 1890
The first designs of Artifort were classic wooden furniture. These pieces were robust and expertly crafted, but also very traditional. During the 1950s, the Wagemans family, founders of Artifort, brought a wooden interlocking chair back from the Belgian Congo. This chair consisted of two separate base elements that were fitted together with forked ends and held together by gravity. This technique of sliding the seating parts together formed the inspiration for Artifort’s Pinguïn.
As the foundation piece of Artifort’s exploration into innovative thinking, the Pinguïn has finally made a return. To celebrate Artifort’s 125-year anniversary in 2015, this iconic armchair has returned in a limited edition of only 125 chairs.
Artifort could not have been successful without the creativity of designers like Theo Ruth, Kho Lang Ie, Geoffrey D. Harcourt and Pierre Paulin. Their innovative ideas from the sixties and seventies are deeply embedded in the history of the Artifort brand. This creativity is once again being given free rein by Artifort’s CEO Sander van der Lande.
Artifort’s CEO Sander van der Lande
A treasure trove of creativity
Van der Lande: ‘When Lande Group took over Artifort in 1998, the company was not doing well. However, I was convinced that Artifort had the potential for success. All it needed was a no-nonsense approach and committed employees. Our first step was to look to the past. The more I saw of the well-known and lesser-known designs, the more I felt like I was standing in a treasure trove of creativity. ‘
‘We decided to breathe new life into all of the chairs and sofas that bore the undisputed Artifort DNA. The designs had to perfectly match the originals, only executed using sustainable materials. The next step was to develop a better, more industrial production process that retained the existing craftsmanship. Looking back, these steps turned us into a veritable trendsetter.’
The essence of Artifort
‘We’re proud that Artifort has managed to keep the production of its chairs and sofas in-house for five generations now,’ says Kees Tol, Artifort’s design consultant for the interior design market. ‘Once you see how much passion and attention goes into upholstering a chair like the Ribbon, you’ll understand the quality. Re-upholstery is an art in itself. The Ribbon is completely dismantled and then rebuilt in tensioned foam and rubber layers. That love of form and beauty is the essence of Artifort.’
Design is about emotion: an Artifort chair or sofa is a valuable possession that can be passed down for generations. ‘An Artifort chair is part of the family,’ explains Van der Lande. ‘We know this because of the stories and photos our customers share with us.
They have an emotional attachment to the brand. Design is not a lifestyle, but a part of our everyday lives. That’s what I like about it.’
Sustainable production
Artifort has made significant developments in the seventeen years that it’s been part of the Lande Group. While a rich history is important, companies need to innovate to stay interesting. ‘With inspirational designers like Patrick Norguet, René Holten, Khodi Feiz and Jasper Morrison, we set up a design process that combines creativity with innovation and sustainable production methods,’ says Van der Lande.
‘This allows us to create a beautiful and affordable product with the distinct Artifort DNA. Artifort’s production is both industrial and small-scale: young designers come to Schijndel to test their ideas and make use of Artiforts technological possibilities. Very much like Pierre Paulin when he produced his first bucket chair at Artifort in 1959.’
Leap towards the future
In 2014 long time Artifort designer Khodi Feiz was appointed Art-Director to help guide Artifort for the future. Feiz grew up in Iran and the United States and moved to the Netherlands in 1990. Feiz: ‘Over the last decade, Artifort has methodically put its classics back into production. They form the foundation of our company. We are now at the point of taking a leap towards the future. We are working to determine which directions to take, which projects to set up, and which designers to invite to create new products.’
The company already invited Patrick Norguet to design a new armchair, which resulted in the beautiful armchair Kalm. Feiz: ‘Our aim is to become a leading player once again. I always describe Dutchness as staring dreamily into the distance with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Looking for global possibilities is part of this. For me, this is typically Dutch and inherently Artifort.’
