Contemporary Icons

In the Contemporary Icons track we have selected projects which hold a promise to the future of becoming iconic as they hold an outstanding signature of quality. In exploring this track discover how design intersects with art and the trends in contemporary collecting and the business behind the collectible design market.

The word icon derives from the Greek word eikōn, meaning ‘image.’ An image carrying an important and enduring symbol ranging from an object of devotion in Byzantine times to the golden arch of fast food chain McDonald's. An icon can be a person or an object, a building, an image that reflects the sign of times accompanied with a set of characteristics that is of an outstanding quality within a field of expertise.

Now design weeks, festivals and trade fairs have been removed from the agenda, the design community has lost the possibility to showcase its product portfolio and innovations In Real Life.

Entering this new reality a model needs to be found to serve the needs of a new generation of icons to make a living. What is the new framework, the practical realities and ethics of creative practice now, and what are the futures made possible by the global 'reset' which is currently underway? Together with museum director and founder Jeroen van Mastrigt of museum Nowhere, star designer Sabine Marcelis, David Mahyari, CEO of natural stone company Solid Nature and artist Victor Sonna we talk about the world before COVID 19 and how we can still experience material tactility in a virtual driven society, a new reality due to COVID 19.

Want to hear more from and about these Contemporary Icons? Join us at for our Contemporary Icons Talks on Sunday October 18th.