Interview
Interview of Satyendra Pakhalé by Paola Antonelli, curator of Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA for WIDE 5, Gallery Otto, Bologna, Italy October, 2003
What is a designer?
To be a designer is not a profession but way of life, a path towards Truth (Satya) and
self-realization. For me, designer is one who creates joy for both creator and spectator.
How did you become one?
By dreaming
What are your sources of inspiration?
Images of absence, signs of desire, source of feeling and thought….
Which are the people--designers, politicians, any kind of people--that you admire?
Isamu Noguchi, Luis Baragan, Achille Castiglioni, Shiro Kuramata, Ettore Sottsass, Frederick Kiesler, Issey Miyake and many more…
How is your relationship with your clients?
To be honest I do not quite like the word client, though it is often used in our field of work. I prefer collaborator / friends. My relationship with collaborators is very direct. Above all I do not believe one works for so called client but for higher objectives to simply create. In that process, the collaborator happens to be one of the parents of the project.
What does art mean to you?
True art like true life takes a single road.
And nature?
I feel nature is vital source of creation. Somehow we have ignored nature for long time, under the name of so called progress. I feel we need to find new ways to integrate nature in our daily urban lives.
Industry?
Industry gives reality to design. I feel industry can certainly take socio-cultural responsibility and truly contribute to the world culture.
Architecture?
I have always been fascinated by architecture, as one of the most permanent expression of culture.
Science?
Moral, political, natural knowledge applied or pure science is a backbone of curiosity.
Philosophy?
Friend of wisdom. Not only intellectual but also sensorial wisdom.
In your work, what is the relationship between theory and practice?
For me life and culture is continuous and organic whole, it can not be separated that categorically.
What is your working method?
Could you please describe a project from beginning to end?
My approach is an intimate, intense, close relationship to the project. This is more similar to the immediacy of strictly artistic disciplines than to the more indirect design disciplines. I like to be closer to projects, physically, virtually and manually close to feelings, thoughts and ideas. I use all visualization skills and computer techniques, hand tools and digital tools to realize a project. I always like to be involved in strategic issues of product development and like to be responsible for every single detail of a project. I always appreciate lot of direct contact with the collaborators- industry and involve them in the process of creation.
What do you dream of designing AND realizing?
There are several things I dream of designing and realizing. Right now I dream of designing something for watch-industry, I have some interesting ideas and I would love to make real contribution with it. I am really interested in technological product design for mass production.
Whom would you like to realize a product for?
I am interested in realizing product for industry with passion to do something good. Above all willing to take on that wonderful journey by sharing pleasure and pain of creating something fresh with confidence in a designers ideas.
Do you think that design is well taught?
It’s difficult to say, Design schools are fine, but I think often they could be limiting. Design has turned into an institutionalized profession a career similar to that of lawyer, doctor etc. What we need is to cultivate power of criticism.
Do you think that the understanding of design in the world is sufficient?
Not really, it is still a young and frail discipline. Still in majority of industry they bring in a designer at the end of product development. I think that is absolutely wrong understanding of design. I am confident, with proper understanding of design, it will bring true contribution and awareness. There is still a long way to go.
Do you have any suggestions on how to improve the situation?
What we need is different way of thinking. Industrial culture based only on engineering need to change. Industry need to realize what unexpectedly fresh results one could achieve by involving designer from the strategic point of view right form the day one in the process of product development.
On the other hand we need greater public awareness. I think exhibitions like this are definitely help to create such awareness. That is the reason I support such activities.
Do you like the way you live? Is there anything you would like to change?
The only stable thing in life is change. I would prefer to live in a natural surrounding, in absolute solitude, and continue my romance with contemporary culture.
PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
At age fourteen, Proust was given an English album entitled "Confessions: an Album to Record Thoughts and Feelings." Seven years later, he published this questionnaire, which became a popular game in the literary salons in nineteenth century Paris.
the main features of my character.
Difficult to say
a quality I desire in a man.
Peacefulness.
a quality I desire in a woman.
Serenity
what I appreciate most among my friends.
Kindness
my principal defect.
Impatience
my favorite occupation.
What I do every day
my dream of felicity.
To be totally aware
what would for me be the biggest misfortune.
To get attached to unnecessary things in life
whom I would like to be.
Myself, but lot wiser
where I would like to live.
On the mountain with amazing view of life
the color I prefer.
Fresh sky during sunset and sunrise
the flower I love.
White lotus.
the bird I prefer.
One that sings
my favorite authors.
Those who captures all my attention
my favorite poets.
Those who make me feel real joy and sorrow of life
my heroes in fiction.
Often heroes are dangerous
my heroines in fiction.
Same as above.
my favorite composers.
Those who provoke dreams
my favorite artists.
Those who capture my imagination
my heroes in real life.
Those who still have great confidence in humanity even tough they have very little.
my heroes in history.
As I said before
my favorite names.
Those one which evoke poetic feelings
what I hate most.
It is not worth hating anything
the historic characters I dislike most.
Isn't it true, that dislike leads to hatred?
the military enterprise I like the most.
Absolutely none.
the reformation I appreciate the most.
Asoka’s moral, godless, secular, universalistic Buddhist reform of entire subcontinent around 2260 years ago, eventually to become India’s outstanding contribution to world culture. I would like to recall, Asoka was a master builder. He was the first in India to build in stone. The pillars, which occupy so prominent a place in the work of Asoka, are perhaps the finest extant specimens of his artistic and architectural genius.
nature’s gift I would like to have.
To detach from worldly affairs
how I would like to die.
In absolute bliss
my soul's present condition.
Life is just a lump of clay - Indian proverb
the faults I can bear.
All
my motto.
Walk while walking and never give up
