In February last year, Geneva got its first design fair, the PAD Geneve. The Pavilion of Arts & Design (PAD) is a series of fairs held in Paris, London, Monaco and now Geneva, dedicated exclusively to Modern and Contemporary furniture and the decorative arts.In its first edition, PAD Geneve, the fair saw participation by 27 of the world’s top design galleries. Held in conjunction with the Contemporary art fair artgeneve, the new fair provided collectors, designers and the public an overview of the finest collections of carefully curated 20th- and 21st-century design, by the world’s foremost specialists.This year, the fair returns alongside artgeneve, underscoring the fact that Contemporary art and design are after all, two sides of the same coin. At press time, 23 exhibitors were listed for the second edition, showcasing 20th-century decorative arts, Contemporary design, jewelry, sculpture, as well as Pre-Colombian art and primitive art.Patrick Perrin, the founder of PAD, spoke with BLOUINSHOP in advance of the Geneva event, (Jan 31-Feb 3).The inaugural edition of the fair recorded an attendance of 20,000 visitors, according to the PAD Geneve website. Did you anticipate the interest the fair generated in its very first edition? What are your hopes for the fair based on the enthusiasm seen the last year?The goal is that it continues. I’m not sure that there is enough room in Switzerland, even though it is an important country from the point of view of art, especially when we look at how many exhibitors there are at Design Basel, with a lot more space and seniority than us. … There’s good resonance between Paris, London, Geneva, even Monaco, and maybe the stimulation between the four is a good stimulation, but we do not want to be that big either.The fair focuses on Modern and Contemporary furniture and decorative arts. Could you share the philosophy behind choosing the periods that are exhibited at the fair?It’s eclectic (PAD’s DNA). We begin at the earliest in 1860-1880. PAD starts at the chair of Thonet No. 62 [a classic bent-wood dining chair] ...What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming edition of PAD Geneve?Especially in Geneva, we think that “less is beautiful.”Design as an evolved discipline is largely concentrated in Europe and the US, unlike Contemporary arts. Do you think there are other centers in the world that have the potential to develop as design hubs in future?A little bit in the US, but mostly in Europe. … If you do not live in a world of culture, it’s hard to get into design overnight, but there are always exceptions that confirm the rule.What are the design collectors most keen on buying today?Bespoke Contemporary design, meaning Contemporary design made to measure. …It is the work of assembler, the work of the tailor-made adapting to each house, to each volume, etc. The criteria are beauty, utility and creativity. These can be different from one collector to another.What are the design trends that are likely to rule the field in 2019?In my opinion, the work of assembler and the custom-made work from the ’30s and ’50s is reappearing.This story appears in the January 2019 edition of BlouinShop magazine. Subscribe at http://blouinsubscriptions.com/https://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin  Read more