:: Professor from TGV

Guest of honor of this year's Mobitex was French designer Eric Jourdan. His focus in this area is divided in three areas:
- interior design (cooperation with Ligne Roset)
- exterior design (information system of Chevreuse National Park, design of exterior furniture of Seine embankment in Paris)
- teaching at École des beaux arts Saint Etienne

How is your cooperation with Ligne Roset?
The cooperation with Ligne Roset is a great chance for any designer. This company belongs to producers who produce high quality furniture design in big series. The influence of this company on market is unique. A flagship of my creation is lounge chair Tozolan, which has been introduced also at Mobitex.

Do you also work with other companies?
My cooperation with Ligne Roset is important; however I don't avoid cooperation with other companies. I cooperate with smaller producers and galleries.

What chances do have designer in France to be part of teams producing designs for public spaces or to participate on public commissions?
I took part in few selective procedures. It is very common in France that designers try to get these commissions alone. To my late work in this area belongs the realization of information system in Chevreuse National Park and outdoor furniture of Seine embankment in Paris.

Can you briefly describe teaching methods at École des beaux arts in Saint Etienne?
There are some differences between teaching here and France. Many teachers do teach externally. The commute to school for a few days in a week. I commute to Saint Etienne from Paris, which is about 600 km, most of the time I travel by TGV. Same as my colleague, Francois Bauchet. Students gave us a nickname "Professors from TGV". Schooling starts in October and school year is divided into trimesters. At the end of each trimester students are presenting their work.

Do students cooperate during their studies with well-established companies?
The cooperation between students and the furniture industry is usual practice, which has it strict rules. The most important one is that students don't get involved it production programs, so they cannot become a cheap competition for professional designers. On the other hand the involvement of students is welcomed in the area of research programs.

Last year there was a traditional biennale of design in Saint Etienne. Do Czech designers have chance to take part in the next biennale?
The organizer of this event is our school, École des beaux arts Saint Etienne. Next event will take place in 2004. Conditions of participation are not limited and cooperation with students and designers from Czech Republic is possible. It depends on their initiative.

One traditional question at the end, how did you like your stay in Brno?
It was brilliant. I am very glad that I was able to take part in this fair of interior design. I was astonished with architecture of the fairground, especially lightness and dynamics of Pavilion A.