Winter Salon

From personal fascination to The Salon

Behind The Salon is its founder, Nadia Simak, who developed a fascination with unusual objects from a young age. A piece of antique furniture could intrigue her just as much as a special book or a work of art. She wanted to know where something came from, who had made it and what story lay behind it. Later, she recognised that fascination in the work of philosopher Roger Scruton and art critic John Berger, who put into words something she had felt for much longer: truly seeing requires attention.

It was from this curiosity that The Salon was born. Inspired by the salons of the nineteenth century, Simak created a place where creators, collectors and experts come together, and where, alongside extraordinary objects, the knowledge and stories behind them are also given a place.

“There are people with knowledge that you cannot simply glean from a book, but which has been built up over the years. I want them to be able to share this at The Salon and pass on their stories. Because if we do not pass on that knowledge, it will be lost. And that would be a shame.”

— Nadia Simak, founder of The Salon

International and carefully curated

For The Winter Salon, participants from countries including the Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain and Belgium will be coming to The Hague. The Salon is curated and by invitation only. The selection process focuses on authenticity, cultural significance, originality and craftsmanship, with room for both historical and contemporary work.

This combination is important to Simak. She aims to bring together different disciplines and generations and to give visitors the opportunity to look beyond the object itself. Sharing knowledge is therefore a key part of The Salon.

Passing on knowledge

Lectures form an important part of the programme. Confirmed speakers include jewellery historian Kim van Zweeden with ‘Weird and Wonderful Jewellery’, Martijn Akkerman with ‘Juwelen & Mensen’, the Belgian jewellery historian Céline Rose David with ‘From Maharajas to Maisons: India’s Influence on European Jewellery’ and Julia Bocanet with ‘Forgotten Jewels’. For each lecture, The Salon is making a number of places available to students on relevant degree programmes.

Opening Fellows’ Dinner & charity auction

The Winter Salon opens on Thursday 3 December with the Opening Fellows’ Dinner. During the evening, a charity auction will take place, for which each participant is donating two special items. Some are being made especially for the occasion, whilst others come from their own collections. The Salon aims to raise around €10,000 for a charitable cause to be announced at a later date.

A winter wonderland at Hotel Des Indes

Hotel Des Indes will also form part of the experience. For the December edition, the historic interiors will be transformed into a magical winter setting. A fairytale forest and accents of real gold will form the backdrop for The Winter Salon, bringing the festive spirit of the season to the hotel’s historic halls.