Chris BRIFFA
Born in 1974, the son of a gifted carpenter, Briffa completed his architecture degree at The University of Malta in 1999. Whilst roaming throughout Europe on EASA workshops in his student days, he furthered his studies at Virginia Tech (USA), and Politechnico di Milano (Italy); and travelled extensively throughout northern Italy before establishing his studio. Established in 2004 in Valletta, Malta; his studio’s work has become synonymous with skilful design which moves away from stylistic mannerisms and is more concerned with proportion, materials and detail. While Briffa is a design tutor at the University of Malta, his studio is often involved in the organisation of lectures, workshops and exhibitions aimed at creating architectural design awareness on this historical Mediterranean Island.
Guido CABIB
Nato a Napoli nel 1956, vive e lavora tra Napoli e Milano. Curatore indipendente e Gallerista. Nel 1993 apre il primo spazio espositivo “The Theoretical events” a Napoli in Piazza del Gesù, 33. Dal 93 al 2000 mostra per la prima volta in Italia i lavori di Artisti Internazionali allora semisconosciuti al grande pubblico, come: Damien Hirst (96), Hiroshi Sugimoto (95), Richard Prince (94), William Eggleston (94), Carsten Holler, Philip Lorca di Corcia, Nan Goldin, Chiara Dinys, Cuoghi e Corsello. Nel 2003 apre un nuovo spazio “Changing Role Move Over Gallery” in Via Chiatamone 26, dove prosegue con successo il lavoro di scouting per artisti emergenti sia italiani che stranieri, quali Kevin Francis Gray, Assume Vivid Astrofocus, e moltissimi giovani artisti italiani; nel 2005 innaugura la prima Home Gallery in Italia e la Project room della Galleria; nel 2007 apre un secondo spazio espositivo in Vicolo del Bollo 13 Roma. Nel 2010 in collaborazione con il "Centro Internazionale d’Arte Contemporanea Sala 1", storico spazio dedicato alla ricerca artistica contemporanea in Roma, inaugura una nuova forma di collaborazione tra privati presentando 4 mostre all’anno per i prossimi 4 anni negli splendidi spazi di San Giovanni in Laterano (Scala Santa). Dal 2012 dirige un contenitore culturale innovativo,THE FORMAT - Contemporary Culture Gallery a Milano.
Ruslan CHERNOBAEV
Chief Executive Officer, FineStreet Media Group (St. Petersburg, Russia). Experience: 20 years (media business). Nominated for “Media manager Russia” (2013); “Expert of the year” (2011) in nomination “Social Initiatives”. The owner of the leading architecture and design editions in St. Petersburg: “Living Space” magazine, “Countryside Residence” magazine, “4room:/forum of professionals” newspaper and annual catalogues: “Interior Salons of St. Petersburg” and “Architects, Designers and Decorators of St. Petersburg”. Initiator and president of annual non-commercial city project St. Petersburg Design Week since 2011. St. Petersburg Design Week is the only one project in St. Petersburg with the world name that unites architecture and design from all over the world. The first Design Week in 2011 immediately gained the reputation of a bright large-scale event that never had taken place in this city before. Supporting the need of the city in such events the Organizing Committee decided to make it annual. In 2012 the project was supported by the government of St. Petersburg as a socially important event for the city. The plan for 2013 is to prepare large-scale events open for wide public and free for citizens and guests of St. Petersburg. Ruslan Chernobaev: “I'm sure, one of the most beautiful cities in the world - St. Petersburg - has to become a place for the implementation of the brightest international architectural and design projects. Its unique architecture created by the best masters of the time is the perfect scenery for a vibrant and spectacular show named Saint-Petersburg Design Week. Design has no borders, it accompanies us everywhere throughout our life. Design is free, if person is free. Free of cliches, pessimism, indecisiveness. It is “Design is free” we chose as the slogan of the third Design Week in the Northern capital of Russia. I invite like-minded people to join our project and share their ideas, experiences, desires and feelings during the most beautiful period on the Neva River known as White Nights. We are waiting for you from 22 till 29 of May, 2013 in St. Petersburg!”
Gennaro POLICHETTI
Laureato in architettura all’Università di Napoli, svolge la libera professione da oltre 30 anni ed è titolare dello studio “Architetto Polichetti & Partners”. Ha ricoperto la carica di Assessore all’Urbanistica e LL.PP. del comune di Torre Annunziata e successivamente, fino al mese di luglio 2005, quello di Dirigente per la Programmazione e Pianificazione dello stesso comune. E’ il Presidente dell’Ordine degli Architetti PPC di Napoli e Provincia dal 2009 dopo aver ricoperto la carica di consigliere Segretario per 10 anni. Innumerevoli le partecipazione e gli interventi effettuati in convegni e seminari nei vari settori dell’architettura oltre che come componente di commissioni e di giurie per premi di livello nazionale e internazionale (tra le più recenti: 23° International Building & Live Congress di Bursa in Turchia - premio Archiprix Italia 2010 - Premio Internazionale Ischia di Architettura - “à travers Naples et l’Italie” per XVII rencontre de la Fondation Le Corbusier - 5° Congresso Eurau).
Cyril ZAMMIT
Parisian born, Cyril Zammit graduated with a Masters in Media & Public Relations Studies from the University of Avignon, France. He started his career at the Institut Francais in Prague where he was in charge of marketing the institute and managing their film programme. From Prague, Zammit moved to London, to the Cultural department of the French Embassy, where he spent three years before moving to Switzerland to manage the sponsorship for Montreux Jazz Festival. After tripling sponsorship revenues for the jazz festival and setting up media partnerships with, CNN and TV5 Monde, amongst others, Zammit moved to the corporate world joining the International Sponsorship team of UBS. Within UBS, he was promoted to Project Head of International Sponsorship and managed the sponsorship for the launch of the UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra and later on the sponsorship of Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach. In 2005, Zammit joined HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) as Marketing & Communications Senior Manager where he signed and managed the sponsorship of Design Miami/ and Design Miami/Basel until June 2009. In September 2009, he joined the cultural department of Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi, as Senior Sponsorship & Funding Manager where he secured sponsors for Abu Dhabi Art 2009 and 2010. Zammit was approached by Ben Floyd, one of the co-founders of Art Dubai, to start a fair entirely dedicated to collectible and limited edition design - the first of its kind in the Middle East and South Asia. It did not take long before Zammit accepted the offer and the project kicked off in August 2011. Cyril coordinates with global design galleries and works with the renowned designers and professionals from the design industry to establish Design Days Dubai as the definitive design show appealing to a broad public including design collectors, designers and architects.