Marlene Huissoud about Art and Inspiration

Marlene Huissoud is an experimental designer who works as a freelance designer for various companies alongside the art and design industries. Marlene’s work challenges traditional methods of creation by producing purposeful pieces that ethically question the properties of natural resources and redefine the role of design in contemporary society. Self-aware and progressive, her work balances nature’s inherent disorder with humanity’s restless need to find meaning in everything. Her creative process invites viewers to reflect on their impact on Earth and take action. This juxtaposition encourages observers to pause and consider whether the world would be better off if we simply let it be. She strongly believes in the value of conceptual thinking and the importance of the creative process.

“ I try to open the mind of people on the world we live in but always with an optimistic message and not a judgemental one.” — Marlene Huissoud

iPemium DD: Your work aims to highlight the value of the Earth, nature, and natural resources, while also exploring the impact of humans on the environment. Is there a central message you hope to convey to the viewer through each of your works?

Marlene Huissoud: I give the permission to view my work as you want. From my point of view, this freedom is a key to activate your imagination. Of course I can guide, principally, by using the senses (for example the smell of the work which is very specific), this really helps people to apprehend and understand the work with their own appreciation. My intention, when I create, is to convey a strong message - on how we live and how we can expect to live in ten years time. I try to open the mind of people on the world we live in but always with an optimistic message and not a judgemental one.

iPemium DD: What are your favorite materials to work with, and why?

Marlene Huissoud: I think it is constantly changing thanks to the different projects we are working on at the atelier. And it is as well very important to me to have changes in the material library of the material. I can, for example, work with the same material and techniques for several months. The process of the work is very meditative, repetitive and a bit obsessional, so it is always an amazing feeling to finish a piece and start a new one, like a new breath. I like a lot working with a natural materials for months, then have a break and then go back to it as there is always new to explore and endless possibilities.

iPemium DD: Are there any designers or artists who particularly inspire you?

Marlene Huissoud: Artists more than Designers. I have always been fascinating by artists from the ‘Art brut’ movement. For me they are creating in the purest form what you can think of, there is no compromises in their creations. And artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Niki de Saint Phalle, Le Facteur Cheval, artists who gave everything to their art, and had no obligations to respond to a specific market. If you lose your freedom in your creative practice, you are sold to a power you can’t control.

iPemium DD: Are there any museums or galleries where you would love to exhibit your work?

Marlene Huissoud: The answer to these questions becomes very easy with time. The best way to exhibit my next project would be outside. A garden of imaginaires. I’m planning to realise my own monument in the coming years in the Alps where I want to create a monument at a human scale for the mini insect world. Accessible to everybody, humans but of course other species as well.

iPemium DD: Do you follow any specific principles when creating interior pieces?

Marlene Huissoud: I never plan too much in advance, I like to be guided by the materials when I create. The models of the projects are generally made after we finish the piece, to keep a memory of the work once it is gone on an exhibition tour. I try to set as few rules as possible.

iPemium DD: Do you believe that art is an essential element of interior design?

Marlene Huissoud: Art is what you make out of it. In my interior I have a lot of objects, materials that are truly important to me. To others they are probably nothing. They are parts of my connection to the world, they translate my imagination and they have deep memories.

iPemium DD: Do you often attend art and design exhibitions yourself? Are there any you would particularly recommend?

Marlene Huissoud: You can most of the time find me in my atelier or playing outside with my daughter. I used to live in London and Paris and few months ago I relocated everything in the French Alps, in nature. Culture is less present there, of course, but now I love to plan escapes to the cultural world. On my list, and I think my next trip, would be to visit the TAROT GARDEN by Niki de Saint Phalle in Italy.