“We had discovered a jewel”

This exhibition is unique. For the first time ever, it presents works by the Italian star designer Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis style he inspired in a historical setting — in the new Wempe showroom in Cologne. The company’s owner Kim-Eva Wempe and Dr. Mateo Kries , the director of the Vitra Design Museum, explain how their cooperative project came about and how a jewelry showroom was transformed into a fleeting work of art.

Ms. Wempe, when you rented the Stollwerck building, you were looking for a new home for your Cologne showroom — and you found a hidden interior design by Ettore Sottsass from the 1980s. What went through your mind when the architect Anna Nicolas told you about it?

Kim-Eva Wempe: Initially I wasn’t aware of the significance of Sottsass and the Memphis design movement he founded, so I had some research to do. In the process, I realized that we were a jewelry company that had discovered a jewel — a real treasure that we absolutely had to preserve.

Mr. Kries, you are an expert on the Memphis design movement, and you knew Ettore Sottsass personally. Were you aware of this treasure?

Dr. Mateo Kries: Sottsass carried out only a very few projects in Germany, including the fashion showroom that Esprit had in Cologne back then. I had read about it, but I must admit that I had forgotten about it over time — until Ms. Wempe brought it to my attention.

How did that happen?

MK: We were staging a Memphis exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum. I was the tour guide that day. Because of the pandemic, only two guests had showed up — and one of them was Ms. Wempe. She told me who she was only after the tour was over.

KEW: But that goes for you too!

MK: (laughs) Yes, that’s right. After that she told me the story involving Cologne, and all I could think was — wow!

How significant was Ettore Sottsass in the world of design?

MK: He was one of the formative thinkers in twentieth-century furniture and product design — absolutely a key figure. The significance of the Bauhaus in the first half of the century was mirrored in the second half by the significance of Italian design, especially Memphis design — in both cases, it was a whole new world. Sottsass liberated design from the dictates of industry. In his opinion, things no longer had to be merely functional and practical. They had to express emotions and make the world more beautiful. His style influenced generations of young designers, and it is still doing so today.

KEW: Memphis design existed only briefly; it all happened within just a few years. Mr. Kries opened my eyes and made me realize what a rare find we had come across.

MK: I think there is a very clear connection with your business, Ms. Wempe. Through his designs, Sottsass wanted to inject a touch of magic into daily life. You ultimately do the same thing through jewelry. Or would you say that’s going too far?

KEW: Design and jewelry are an unusual combination. Good jewelry should be timeless rather than fashionable. And it has to feel comfortable to wear. It’s hard for me to imagine jewelry in a Memphis design. I suspect that it wouldn’t be pleasant to wear. But of course we haven’t uncovered the Memphis design in Cologne in order to sell our jewelry. It’s a historical legacy and a fruitful contrast. This interplay was what interested me.

Who came up with the idea of organizing a Sottsass exhibition in the remodeled rooms?

KEW: The idea basically was born during my talk with Mr. Kries in the Vitra Design Museum. Once you’ve seen the rooms, this idea practically leaps out at you. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show these incredible Memphis objects in their original setting from this time.

Do you organize exhibitions of this kind often, Mr. Kries?

MK: No, and we wouldn’t have organized such an exhibition if these rooms had not been available. We are not an advertising tool. Art belongs in a museum, not a retail store. But this showroom is a setting similar to a museum, and that’s why I thought Ms. Wempe’s initiative was fantastic. I’m a big Sottsass fan, and the Wempe showroom in Cologne offers a great framework for exhibiting his work. I think it’s wonderful! But it will remain a one-of-a-kind project.

Do you feel the same way, Ms. Wempe?

KEW: We’ve often staged art and design exhibitions in our showrooms. They will be followed by others, especially in Cologne. Our rooms offer a nearly perfect setting for them. An entire building in an iconic design with a signature look throughout — that’s unbeatable.

Ms. Wempe, Dr. Kries, thank you very much for this talk.