Marco Campardo Wins Ralph Saltzman Prize from Design Museum London

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON — The Design Museum London has announced Italian designer Marco Campardo is the second recipient of the Ralph Saltzman Prize.

Ralph Saltzman co-founded and was president of Designtex, the leading company in the design and manufacturing of applied materials for the built environment. This annual design award celebrates emerging product designers.

As a commitment to the future of design, Marco’s work is now showcased in a display at the Design Museum and he receives a £5,000 bursary to support his work. Created by Lisa Saltzman on behalf of the Saltzman Family Foundation, and launched in November 2021, The Ralph Saltzman Prize reflects the Design Museum’s overarching commitment to champion new talent and nurture the development of a vibrant design sector.

For this year’s competition, five established designers each put forward a young designer who is currently making waves in the field of product design. All the emerging designers are trying to point a new direction for design, either by supporting the green transition, through technical innovation or presenting compelling design ideas. Campardo was nominated by designer Edward Barber of Barber Osgerby.

Marco Campardo is a London-based designer and maker, working with the industry, private and public clients. He designs objects, exhibitions, and site-specific installations. Campardo has a particular interest in manufacturing and material experimentation as a form of critical practice, using it to explore wider narratives about culture, materiality, identity and authenticity.

“I created the Ralph Saltzman Prize as a legacy to my father,” Lisa Saltzman said. “My father was an innovator and a pioneer who had a keen eye, great taste and he thought outside the box. He was a trailblazer, renowned for his creativity. He was a visionary, and exceptionally innovative. He was an incredibly kind and generous man and the best father imaginable. I miss him more than I can say but I know this prize is an initiative that will endure. The Ralph Saltzman Prize is a way to give young designers an opportunity, an honorarium and a show.

“Marco is a fitting winner of the Prize. His work is very of the moment and visually arresting. He is using a lot of waste material and showing a clear sustainability narrative. His idea of re-using and the focus on sustainability is utterly compelling. This is something my father was doing over twenty years ago so he is continuing that legacy. Marco’s work looks to tap into William McDonough’s notion of cradle-to-cradle design, the notion by which design and production of products of all types can be done in such a way as that at the end of their life, they can be truly recycled and reused.”

Campardo said, “I am extremely honored to have received the Ralph Saltzman Prize. Having moved to London from Italy and set up my practice in 2019, the fact my work has been recognised by the judging panel is extremely humbling, as well as an encouragement for the future development of my work. The fact that the Design Museum has decided to reward work that is often speculative and sits somewhat outside the canon of industrial design, is perhaps a testament to the richness of the contemporary design landscape.”

Marco’s work can be viewed in a free display at the Design Museum from now until April 3. For more information, visit designmuseum.org.