NANOVO at Collectible Brussels fair Photo: Adam Karásek
In the middle of March our NANOVO team headed to Brussels to showcase our work at Collectible Brussels, the international trade fair for collectible design. Each year, the fair showcases a curated selection of the best of the 21st century's global design scene and, as the event's name suggests, what would befit any collector's collection. This is only the second year that Czech designers have been represented at the fair, so we were delighted to be chosen from all the talented Czech creators to present Czechoslovak design and first-class craftsmanship beyond the borders of our country.
At NANOVO, we have been taking care of furniture and accessories from post-war Czechoslovakia for more than fourteen years, keeping in circulation and in the public consciousness exceptional design that would otherwise fall into disrepair or lie fallow. We develop new solutions for proven design as well as manufacture our own original objects – for our visionary approach, we won the prestigious Czech Grand Design award for Store of the Year in 2016 and the EDIDA award from ELLE Decoration magazine in 2019 for the reissue of furniture by Jiří Jiroutek.
NANOVO came to Brussels with a strong arsenal of four reissues of iconic Czechoslovak design – a JAWA light object, a T2407 leather armchair and two ÚLUV floor lamps. All were born out of respect for the outstanding craftsmanship of Czechoslovak creators and a desire to revive design that still has a lot to say in the 21st century. All of them incarnate the vision of our company and are also examples of the mastery of our colleagues-craftsmen.
A replica of the JAWA light object that once adorned the legendary JAWA club. This unique light object was made by the employees of the JAWA factory for the cultural house in Týnec nad Sázavou - Brodce, which was opened with great pomp in 1961. At NANOVO we started to produce the light according to the original design by combining the original forging technology and the new LED technology.
Unique JAWA Photo: Dita Havránková
The dark green replica of the leather armchair T2407 was made according to the original design by Viliam Chlebo from 1979, which was chosen by architect Karel Prager in 1983 for the representative space of the New Stage of the National Theatre in Prague. The chair impressed Prager with its airy frame and elegant design. This specific design was made exclusively for the theatre interior. The replica has a metal chrome frame and leather upholstery. Brussels Collectible was not the first fair the chair has attended – in 2022 it won second place in the Best Furniture category at Designblok, Central Europe's largest design and fashion showcase, and was nominated for the ELLE Decoration Award in 2023.
Back on the (New) Stage Photo: Dita Havránková
Our presentation was completed by several replicas of two models of the ÚLUV 4159-2 floor lamp from the 1960s – a smaller and a larger one. After the war, the ÚLUV enterprise became a safety net for Czechoslovak craftsmen and gave work to artists in textiles, furniture, ceramics, clothing and home accessories in workshops across the country. It also introduced the Krásná jizba stores throughout Czechoslovakia, which became a centre of modern design for many years. Today, the lamps are completely handmade in the Czech Republic from cherry wood and blown milk glass, which creates an atmospheric diffused light.
Larger ÚLUV floor lamp Photo: Dita Havránková
The individual objects were set in a landscape of silver pressed isothermal foil, which emphasized their visionary design and drew upon the Space Age theme of the lamps. The lamps lit up the glass exhibition space and attracted many visitors, who stopped by our installation, took photos of it, and some of the older visitors even dreamily reminisced about their youth and the unforgettable role the ÚLUV lamps played in it.
Space Age presentation of NANOVO products Photo: Adam Karásek
Photo: Adam Karásek
The Collectible Brussels fair is a prestigious platform that regularly showcases creators from Belgium and abroad and brings together the best of collectible design. Each year, a committee of architecture and design personalities selects new names from galleries, design studios, architects, independent creators and brands. It focuses exclusively on contemporary work and exhibits only proven, high-quality and functional projects. The works presented are either one-offs, private commissions or limited editions.
Each year, the exhibition itself is complemented by a diverse programme of lectures on contemporary collectible design, where leading figures from various sectors meet and discuss together.
At the fair, NANOVO was presented within the Bespoke section together with three other Czech creators. Elis Monsport presented her unique glass objects from the Botanico series, Johan Pertl presented his collection of spatial objects FLOW and the Qubus & Jakub Berdych Karpelis brand presented a selection of home products at the crossroads of art and design. The common theme of all Czech projects was the use of traditional Czech materials in a new conceptual way.
This year's 8th edition of the fair took place from 13 to 16 March 2025 at the Vanderborght exhibition space in the centre of Brussels, and the second edition will also take place this year from 4 to 7 September in New York.
Official visual for the event Source: Kristýna Halounová (Czech Centre Brussels)
We are very happy that we could present Czechoslovak design and our work at such a prestigious and unique fair. Thank you very much to Collectible Brussels for a wonderful and inspiring four days and thank you to everyone we met at the fair!
We would also like to thank CzechTrade, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Brussels, the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, the Czech Centre Brussels and the representation of the Pilsen Region for their nomination and support.
NANOVO team