Marva Griffin
BornVenezuela
Alma mater
OccupationArts administrator, organizational founder
WorksSaloneSatellite
Awards

Marva Griffin is an arts administrator, curator, and founder of the SaloneSatellite exhibition at the annual Milan Furniture Fair in Italy. She has been described as, "the mastermind behind the world’s largest design fair [and] an outspoken friend to undiscovered designers."[1][2]

Early life and education

Griffin was born in Venezuela and raised in El Callao. She has spoken of her childhood and growing up with her seven siblings "in a big house with my mother, my grandmother and my father". She first visited Italy as a teenager in the 1960s. She studied interior design in Caracas, then moved with her son to Perugia, Italy in the 1970s to study languages at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia.[3][4][5][6]

Work and career

After her time in Perugia, she moved to Milan to work at C&B Italia (now B&B Italia) in communications and public relations, working closely with the company's founder and chairman Piero Ambrogio Busnelli.[3][7] She describes her role during this period of her career as "Busnelli’s assistant, public relations office, and interpreter (he spoke no English). We travelled the world. It was incredible."[8][1]

She also worked with Condé Nast as a correspondent and representative in Italy for a number of publications such as French Maison & Jardin, Vogue Decoration, American House & Garden, and Vogue magazines.[3]

In 1998 she founded SaloneSatellite in Milan, an exhibition that features young and emerging designers, collaborations with universities and design schools, and aims "to enhance links between research, design and industry, focusing on designers under the age of 35."[9][10][11] The event is held annually in conjunction with the larger Milan Furniture Fair (iSaloni), an international trade and design event first held in 1961. Griffin is the curator of SaloneSatellite and has an advisory role in the management of the overall design fair.[9][12][13][14]

She is considered a mentor who has contributed to the careers of well known designers such as Matali Crasset, Front, Sebastian Herkner, Paul Loebach, Daniel Rybakken, Oki Sato, and Nika Zupanc, and others whose work was first exhibited at SaloneSatellite.[15][1] The artist and designer Ini Archibong has said, "I owe a great deal to Marva and Satellite, and I consider myself blessed to have come in contact with such a powerful design gatekeeper."[16][17] Paola Antonelli of the Department of Architecture & Design at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) once called her the “great godmother of design.”[4][18] Griffin is quoted as saying, "My objective is to help young people grow."[19][20]

Griffin is a member of the Architecture and Design Committee at MoMA, she has served on juries for various scholarships and design awards such as the SaloneSatellite Award, the iF design Awards, and the Hublot Design Prize, and as a member of the World Design Organisation selection committee.[1][21][22][23][24]

In 2014 she was awarded the Compasso d’Oro for career achievement; in 2015 she was nominated Women Ambassador for the Esposizione Universale in Milan; in 2016 she was made Ambassador of Italian Design by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, and the Ministry of Economic Development in collaboration with the Triennale Design Museum for the Italian Design Day conference; in 2017 she received the Ambrogino d'oro Gold Medal from the city of Milan; in 2017, she received Special Jury Prize from the Salone del Mobile; and in 2021 she was awarded a laurea honoris causa from Milan Polytechnic University.[25][26][1][27][28][29][30][31]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Marva Griffin: Mentor to Young Designers". Luminaire. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  2. ↑ Legrenzi, Susanna (2017-04-01). "Marva Griffin, a casa della mamma di tutti i designer". Living (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  3. 1 2 3 "Marva Griffin | Salone del Mobile". www.salonemilano.it. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  4. 1 2 "Founder of the SaloneSatellite: Marva Griffin in an interview". Stylepark. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  5. ↑ Affricot, Johanne (2018-04-08). "Salone del Mobile and SaloneSatellite | In conversation with Marva Griffin Wilshire, 'La Mamma' of Italian design". GRIOT. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  6. ↑ Siebeck, Florian. "Interview: Im Gespräch mit Chefkuratorin Marva Griffin Wilshire". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  7. ↑ "B&B Italia founder Piero Ambrogio Busnelli dies aged 87". Dezeen. 2014-01-27. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  8. ↑ Dameron, Amanda. "Marva Griffin Wilshire". Dwell. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  9. 1 2 "Queen Máxima to meet Dutch designers during working visit to Milan Design Week – News item – Netherlandsandyou.nl". www.netherlandsandyou.nl. 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  10. ↑ "ECOTONO. metamorfosi dei confini | 18–23 aprile 2023 | 24° SaloneSatellite 2023 | Fiera Milano, Rho". politicamentecorretto.com (in Italian). 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  11. ↑ "Salone Satellite: what is it?". www.domusweb.it. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  12. ↑ "In Conversation: Marva Griffin". www.centurion-magazine.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  13. ↑ Kiran Piotti, Cristina (2022-06-11). "600 designers, 48 countries: the return of Salone Satellite". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  14. ↑ Santarelli, Leonardo (2023-03-21). "Salone del Mobile: storia della prima kermesse al mondo". MAM-e (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  15. ↑ Morris, Ali (2017-07-26). "Into orbit: Salone Satellite's founder marks 20 years of boosting young careers". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  16. ↑ "Ini Archibong | Salone del Mobile". www.salonemilano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  17. ↑ "Ini Archibong | Salone del Mobile". www.salonemilano.it. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  18. ↑ "Marva Griffin, a casa della mamma di tutti i designer". Living (in Italian). 2017-04-01. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  19. ↑ Cimato, Cristina (2021-09-09). "Marva Griffin Wilshire: "Il mio obiettivo è aiutare i giovani a crescere"" [Marva Griffin Wilshire: "My objective is to help young people grow"]. MFFashion.
  20. ↑ "Interiors special: Q&A with Marva Griffin of SaloneSatellite". Financial Times. 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  21. ↑ "Design is hope, an agent of change, an obsession, and a fluid concept". www.domusweb.it. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  22. ↑ "WDO | Selection Committee | Past Committees". Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  23. ↑ "Hublot Design Prize". www.hublot.com. 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  24. ↑ "iF Design – Marva Griffin Wilshire". ifdesign.com (in German). Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  25. ↑ "Being Marva Griffin | Salone del Mobile". www.salonemilano.it. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  26. ↑ "ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale". www.adi-design.org. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  27. ↑ "Marva Griffin Wilshire awarded with the Ambrogino D'Oro". IFDM. 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  28. ↑ Marva Griffin Wilshire, venezuelana, ma milanese d’adozione, da quando – trentatre anni fa – si affaccia al mondo del design e (esteri.it)
  29. ↑ Philippe Starck, Marva Griffin & More H...l Mobile.Milano Awards | officeinsight (tecnospa.com)
  30. ↑ "Buenos Aires, incontro con la designer Marva Griffin – Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale". www.esteri.it. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  31. ↑ Ferlazzo, Valentina (2021-09-06). "Marva Griffin, laurea ad honorem al Politecnico di Milano". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-03-23.
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