During one-month residencies, craftsmen and designers share their knowledge and their culture, in order to develop a project together. They experiment in the workshops and get inspired from the identity of the territory. By breaking their working habits and by collaborating off the beaten track, craftsmen and designers renew their creation processes and carry out a project with a multicultural identity.

Romain Diroux (designer) &
Alphonse Ouedraogo (bronze caster), workshop Ouagadougou 2013. Photo credits: ©Fabrice Schneider / Hors Pistes 2013

Each residency program takes place on a territory chosen for its crafts and identity. Hors Pistes selects six different artisans for the excellence of their techniques, their ability to share knowledge, creativity, and curiosity. Six designers are then selected thanks to an international open call. The candidates are selected for the singularity of their design approach, their human values, and interest in crafts. Participating in the residencies encourages the transmission of skills but also questions the heritage and future of traditional techniques. Additionally, an editorial team documents each residency program with a publication.

We are thrilled to present Hors Pistes in collaboration with the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York and the French Embassy in the United States via its Oui Design program. In their respective multifaceted programs, Oui Design and Hors Pistes share a common goal: to promote and initiate creative collaborations through which passionate designers, artisans, curators, and thinkers can exchange. They also both promote multicultural projects by organizing international and multidisciplinary encounters.

With its top-notch schools and reputed design prizes, Switzerland has a very dynamic design scene, and has been a fertile ground for creative work since the origins of Hors Pistes. By allowing its talented young designers to participate in the Hors Pistes residency program, Switzerland has expanded its excellence “off the beaten track“ while Hors Pistes has benefited from the country’s internationally renowned design.

With its marquee events during NYCxDESIGN in May, WantedDesign is a platform dedicated to promoting design and fostering the international creative community at large throughout the year. Founded in New York City in 2011 by Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, WantedDesign has established itself as a constant and staunch supporter of U.S. and international design via events, conversations, and partners and its yearly programming aims to nurture New York City’s design dialogue. For more info and event listings, visit the Wanted Design Website.