The interview is from A&B issue 11|23
The installation by Studio Boloz was created in collaboration with French set designer Cyril Delhomme and has taken up residence in Paris' Hôtel Dieu, a hospital located across from Notre Dame Cathedral, the oldest in France, and perhaps in the world. The history of its founding dates back to 651. Born on the initiative of the then Parisian bishop St. Landeric, it was established to care for the poor and sick.
It owes its current appearance to the reconstruction carried out between 1867 and 1878, designed by architects Émile Jacques Gilbert and Arthur-Stanislas Diet. We talk about the installation with the founder of Studio Boloz, Izabela Bołoz - a Pole living permanently in the Netherlands.
Izabela Bołoz - Polish designer. She studied social sciences at the University of Wroclaw and the University of Zurich in Switzerland, design at Kingston University London, and then received a diploma from Design Academy Eindhoven. In 2011, she established her design studio in the Netherlands. Her clients include cultural institutions, local governments and international companies. Her work is as diverse as her background. They include installations in public spaces, objects and exhibitions. She is a lecturer at the School of Form in Warsaw and the Technical University of Eindhoven
Photo: Bogna Kociumbas-Kos
Anna Popiel-Moszyńska:As a Pole living in Paris for years, I am pleased to have the opportunity to see here an exhibition co-created by Polish designers. How did this project come to be conceived and realized? How was the cooperation with the French set designer established - was it his invitation, or was it through a competition or tender?
Izabela Bołoz:We worked together thanks to an invitation from Cyril, who contacted me asking about the details of the objects in the Intersections series we designed. He liked very much the idea of the exhibition system, the interactive part and the way they are physically connected. This is because the Intersections system is not just the exhibition board itself, but also modules that can perform different functions.
The project owes its realization to the Novaxia organization and the AP-HP hospital fund. They approached the Manifesto organization, a large Paris-based agency dealing with culture in the broadest sense, including organizing exhibitions in museums, festivals. Manifesto, in turn, invited two people to present the concept - one of them was Cyril Delhomme, who in turn contacted us. Our joint proposal was selected for implementation.
The intense colors and geometric shapes of the comb-connected elements of Studio Boloz are eye-catching
Photo: Julian Fraile
Anna:What was Cyril Delhomme's design role, and that of Boloz Studio in the creative process? What specifically were you responsible for?
Isabella:Cyril, the set designer and curator of the exhibition, was familiar with Intersections from our other projects and saw the potential of this project. He also wanted the use of strong, decisive colors to cheer up the monumental interiors of the hospital courtyard, where the designed elements were to be eventually placed.
We, of course, within the possibilities allowed by the specified budget, prepared several proposals for the architectural design, selection of forms - in total there were more or less ten different variants. After these trials, we understood that the future exhibition space would look best with relatively small forms, in the number of five pieces. This allows us to present a lot of information, and at the same time interacts with the existing space of the hospital courtyard in an interesting, modern way. A lot of work was also put into the final "technical" shape of the modules - they were widened a bit, due to the uneven ground they gained special feet. The final touch belonged to the Paris-based graphic design studio Maison Solide, responsible for the graphics itself and the information part. They streamlined the color palette for both our elements that constitute the sculptural stands and for the placards.
The intense colors and geometric shapes of the comb-connected elements of Studio Boloz are eye-catching
Photo: Julian Fraile
Anna: The modules used to create the exhibition at the Hôtel Dieu have already been used by you in slightly different forms for previous projects: in Gdynia, Bydgoszcz or at the Eindhoven airport. What makes these forms so readily used by you?
Isabella:I think this is mainly due to the form being flexible in use. The modules we designed are comb-connected, providing many possibilities for use. They are very sculptural elements. They are modules that are open to interpretation and multifunctional, which distinguishes them from other display-type objects available on the market, with less opportunity to change, to "play" with an object. In our case, remaining at a higher level of abstraction, using pure geometric shapes allows for a wider interpretation of the forms and their arrangement, for their free shaping in cooperation with the stage designer or architect and, of course, for a variety of uses.
The intense colors and geometric shapes of the comb-connected elements of Studio Boloz are eye-catching
Photo: Julian Fraile
Anna: How long will the exhibition be hosted at the Hôtel Dieu?
Isabella:The exhibition will stay there for two years.
Anna: Is it open to the public?
Isabella:Unfortunately, no. However, as part of various cultural events, it will be opened to a wider audience; recently, such an occasion was the European Heritage Days, when many historic buildings that are not normally accessible are opened.
Anna: Thank you very much for the interview.
The intense colors and geometric shapes of the comb-connected elements of Studio Boloz are eye-catching
Photo: Julian Fraile
