The Design Foundation of the Valencian Community is born

The space “The Sea”, in the Veles e Vents building, today hosted the official presentation of the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana. The entity is promoted by the Associació València Capital del Disseny and its mission is to promote and strengthen the economic, creative and social aspects of design in the Valencian Community thanks to the legacy generated as a result of the selection of Valencia as World Design Capital 2022.

The Design Foundation of the Valencian Community therefore has a vocation of permanence which takes shape through initiatives focused on the promotion and dissemination of design as an instrument for the creation of value for companies and professionals and a lever for change and growth in the social sphere as well as in the economic and cultural setting. At the same time, the organisation will catalyse the efforts of the design sector to position the Valencian region as a hub around which design initiatives at state level will revolve and connect.

“In the forum that supported the bid to become World Design Capital we always thought about the legacy we want to leave in our region beyond the implementation of specific projects. Therefore, the year 2022 must constitute a milestone and an excuse to consolidate and enhance the value of design, and the foundation is a vital node along this path,” declared the Valencian designer Vicent Martínez, president of the Design Foundation of the Valencian Community. “The Foundation already forms part of the narrative of Valencian design that we are all building so generously,” he concluded.

Amparo Bertomeu, vice-president of the foundation, stressed that “as a new driving force for the whole Valencian region, the foundation aims to encourage institutions, industry and companies of different sectors to incorporate design in their strategies. Design is an element identified with prosperous, inclusive, creative, sustainable and resilient cities.” “The Foundation also aims to promote a Centre for Design and Digital Arts, a project strategically aligned with Valencia Marina where it will be located, as a hub for innovation and design,” she revealed.

The vice-president insisted on the challenges faced by the Foundation: “We want professional designers to have their own economic activity tax category in the country, to be able to account for the economic impact of their work and their capacity to generate wealth. The Foundation will support the Valencian Design Archive, it will foster the future Museum of Design and Digital Arts, and work to create meeting spaces and to facilitate the teaching of design, from all angles and transversally. We will also promote the international vision of design outside Spain. And we will make the Foundation a meeting point for the whole design ecosystem. These are challenges that will help make Valencia a national and international design hub. 

As Issey Miyake said: ‘Design is not for philosophy, it’s for life,’ Or the great Norman Foster: ‘Everything is design, and the quality of design affects the quality of our lives,’” she concluded.

The graphic identity of the Foundation, entrusted to the deign studio Meteorito, takes its inspiration from the chromatic heritage of World Design Capital Valencia 2022 and generates a symbol based on the entity’s two initials: Fundació del Disseny. A brand universe created with different geometric patterns that evoke the current brand of World Design Capital Valencia 2022 and permit endless possibilities in different formats. 

Board of Trustees

The founding members of Associació València Capital del Disseny make up the Board of Trustees of the foundation together with other leading references of Valencian design, almost all of whom were present at the event to show their support.

Ester Alba Codirector of the Valencian Design Archive

Andrés Alfaro Hofmann Interior designer and director of Fran Silvestre Arquitectos

Amparo Balbastre Finance Director of World Design Capital Valencia 2022

Carmen Baselga Interior designer and founder of Carmen Baselga Taller de Proyectos

Soledat Berbegal Board member and corporate reputation manager of Actiu

Inma Bermúdez Designer and founder of Studio Inma Bermúdez

Antonio Bernabé Managing director of the Visit València Foundation

Amparo Bertomeu General director of the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers and Exporters of Spain (ANIEME)

Román de la Calle Professor of Aesthetics and Theory of Arts of the University of Valencia

Luis Calabuig Vice-president of World Design Capital Valencia 2022 and cofounder of ODOSDESIGN

Xavi Calvo director of World Design Capital Valencia 2022 and founder of Estudio Menta Diseño

Mariví Calvo Designer and cofounder of LZF Lamps

Marián Cano President of the Valencian Association of Footwear Entrepreneurs (AVECAL)

Kike Correcher Graphic designer and founder of Filmac

Pepe Cosín President of the Professional Association of Interior Designers of the Valencian Community (CDICV) and CEO of Cosín Estudio

Ramón Esteve Architect and founder of Ramon Esteve Studio

Jorge Fombellida Commercial director of Feria Valencia

Vicente Gallega García Designer and founder of Gallega Design

Marisa Gallén National Design Award 2019 and President of Associació València Capital del Disseny

Xavier Giner Codirector of the Valencian Design Archive

Nacho Lavernia Founder and creative director of Lavernia&Cienfuegos and National Design Award 1999

Jesús Llinares Sanchez CEO of Andreu World

Vicent Llorens Director of La Marina de València

Joan Mansanet Secretary of the Chirivella Soriano Foundation

Xavier Mariscal Painter, designer and National Design Award 1999

Ángel Martínez President of the Association of Designers of the Valencian Community (ADCV)

Vicent Martínez Designer and President of the Design Foundation of the Valencian Community

Francis Montesinos Fashion Designer

María Navarro Manager of the Association of Designers of the Valencian Community (ADCV)

Victor Palau Graphic designer and director of Gràffica magazine

Vicente Pons Commercial director of POINT

Clara del Portillo Industrial designer and cofounder of Yonoh

Pablo Ramiro Director general of the Spanish Federation of Industrial Associations and Exporters of Decorative Light Fittings (FEDAI)

Marina Sender President of the Regional Association of Architects of Valencia (CTAV)

Pepe Serna President of the Association of Textile Companies of the Valencian Community (ATEVAL)

Rosalía Torrent Museum of Contemporary Art Vicente Aguilera Cerni de Vilafamés (MACVAC)

PHOTOS: NEREA COLL