In October 2024, LAS Design students were invited by SCAD (The University for Creative Careers based in Georgia, USA) to their exhibition as the official university partner of Design Miami Paris showcase at the Hôtel de Maisons during Paris Art Week. During the show, SCAD debuted commissions by celebrated alumni, including Trish Andersen and Lærke Lillelund, whose textile installations were on display. LAS students had the chance to meet Danish fiber artist Lærke and hear more about the inspiration for her structural organza featured in the central staircase of the space.

Lærke explained, “I fell in love with all the ornamentation and excessive Rococo detail in this house, which directly inspired this installation.” Her process utilized both traditional and digital methods, combining soft and geometric shapes to form the showstopping piece. “I’m very much 'more is more,'" she added, an ideology that matched the aura of the gilded mansion where the installation hung. 

SCAD cultivates partnerships throughout the art world. In addition to being a longtime university partner for Design Miami, the school maintains an international campus in Lacoste in the south of France where both current students and SCAD alumni can hone their creativity while nestled in the idyllic medieval town.

It was on the Lacoste campus last summer that LAS Design and Entrepreneurship teacher John Gidding ‘95 forged the partnership with SCAD which led to the invitation to Paris in the fall. With plans for further collaborations between LAS and SCAD in the years to come, opportunities like these give our students incredible real-world experiences at the very pinnacle of the design and art field. 

We spoke with Ben Tollefson, curator at the SCAD Museum of Art and the alumni commissions for the SCAD Design Miami Paris exhibition, about the significance of young artists presenting their work at such a prestigious event.

Why is it important for up and coming artists like Laerke Lillelund and Trish Andersen to exhibit at a show such as Design Miami Paris? 
SCAD being the official university partner of Design Miami Paris provided an incredible opportunity to showcase some of the university’s talented alumni work to a large, global audience of collectors, design specialists, and artists, within the context of some of the greatest working designers in the world. The fair is such an important platform for emerging and established artists to be seen and considered by the global design community.

How are artists and commissions chosen for these events?
These artists and commissions are chosen for these events through the leadership of SCAD’s president and founder Paula Wallace. Working closely with the exhibitions department at SCAD, President Wallace selects the alumni artists and sets the aesthetic direction of the presentation. This year at the fair in Paris, SCAD focused on alumni artists with a bold sense of color and an exploration of tactile possibilities through material.

What did you (and the artists!) enjoy most about Art Week in Paris this year?
Art fair weeks in various cities always provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with gallerists and creative professionals from around the world. I especially love Art Week in Paris because it is amazing to see the fairs in such important historic contexts like the grand Neoclassical architecture of the Hôtel de Maisons for Design Miami Paris, or the incredible Grand Palais for Art Basel. In addition to cutting-edge contemporary art and design at the fairs, you also have the opportunity to see some of the greatest works of art in some of the grandest institutions in the world!

How do you see the creative arts bridging across cultural divides?
The SCAD Museum of Art showcases artists from around the globe, and in my role as curator at the museum, I have worked with artists from places like Kuwait, Germany, Iran, the Netherlands, Japan, South Africa, and more. I’ve seen firsthand how art bridges cultures for the many international students at SCAD and visitors from the general public that experience shows by these international creatives.  I think that rather than providing answers, art opens viewers up to an exchange of ideas and questions, and offers the opportunity to experience cultures, ways of being, and new modes of understanding.

 

Read the full Panorama here