This interview has been broadcast by the Basque Cultural Institute and we have brought it with its authorization.

A factory, a light wooden cube in the middle of a rainforest... Does design need an inspiring environment?

The design, like everything, needs a little peace of mind. To create something we have to have peace of mind, so we are in this cottage and as far as possible we are here; in the group we are looking for things. Then the relationships are out, we move, but while we were here, it's important for us that peace of mind. We are in a consortium; my partner is Ander Lizaso of Oiartzun, I of Azkain, and of course here we have settled in the village of Azkaine; it may be somewhere else but as we are here, we are here.

Where is the process of creating a design going?

We don't create in the air, we need an environment, a context, for it to be industrial or commercial, for it to be the history or the knowledge of the company. In the end, there are many ingredients that raise this question. We put ourselves in the middle, and we create something by mixing and bringing those components together, we create an object. But we don't start with the object, we start with the equation. It is not the same to work with a company working in the hand as with an industrial company. There are always a thousand conditions and an exercise, you have to put it in those conditions. I'm not speaking alone, we're working together for three or four years, that's what we say about our inner workings. Then, looking at companies, we bring creativity. I could say that, through objects, we tell a story for a company. That is what we bring.

Design is art? Or where's the limit?

We don't consider ourselves artists, because we are in the industry world. Our work is situated in a trading system, in a capitalist system. Then we have a point of rigor in our work, if it is a part of aesthetics or art, but situated in a context, we are not on a mere tour. That context makes us not artists. Then, where or where have the sources of inspiration come from? They've come from many places. For some it may be architecture, cinema, music, or knowing things you've seen. I mean, they're the ones we all live.

I could say that, through objects, we tell a story for a company.

On the other hand, much of our work is located in the furniture world, which also has its own history, so both in that story and today we are going to know and see things.

Where is the designer's field going? What does design need? What not?

The word design has been lost somewhere, and many just think that aesthetics is a story, which is shaping something. But really, design is something that affects most parts of our lives; it can also be the design of a product, or the design of services, that affects a lot of things.

Who selects the name of the object? You, the customer, the two?

Many times we choose the name, because when we're creating it, we have an idea or a concept, and that idea brings us to the name. In this sense, we are christening the project or product. On other occasions, companies have their logic, but most of the time we name them. In addition, as most of the time we work with companies here, we use the words here in Basque. On the other hand, we have observed that, in the eyes of the international community, the Basque country enters phonetically in all places. It also happens to us that the customer responds negatively to our proposal, either with the name, color or object. And our task is just to search for ideas, to be sure of our idea and then to insist, to take it to the end. We work a lot to be sure in our study, to show that we can take our idea to the end, and that's to combine customers or industrialists.

Are you in favour of simplifying or worshipping?

The word design has been lost somewhere, and many just think that aesthetics is a story, which is shaping something. But really, design is something that moves most parts of our lives.

We try not to have too many styles, too much formalism or manierism. However, we do things by taking them off, that is, by working a lot of things. We spend a lot of hours and that makes us look for simple ideas, as clear as we can. We are not minimalist, some objects may have a character, a personality; but, we are not baroque, nor very light turns, we spend time and therefore the work is designed or super designed.

In the case of Alki, it can be said that thanks to the design, the furniture brand of Itsasu has taken an impressive curve.

Alki has been for us an experiment, a school, and a good example of the influence of our work. When I say "we", I mean not only the study, but the encounter between us. The great knowledge of the cooperative, the work of wood and our desire to create from here have been found. It is true that it has been a revolution; a traditional company that produced traditional steels here has suddenly gone on to make a proposal today and to everybody. So we have a small company here that, through design, has rewritten and disseminated its history internationally. A few years ago it was thought that many things could not be done here; because of the value of the workforce here, because of the values of the materials, it seemed that great productions could not be developed here, where the technology did not enter.

On the other hand, we have observed that, in the eyes of the international community, the Basque country enters phonetically in all places.

Through Alki's experience, we demonstrate that here you can create, that here you can do different things and that you can go to the world. To do this, you have to tell a special story and spend a lot of time thinking about what we are proposing. Despite being a small company, this collaboration has had a big impact: demonstrating that something can be done here first, that companies can be set up and that nice things can be done. At the level of France, it has also had a great impact to see such a conversion, from traditional change to today’s proposal. Demonstrating that that is possible has been an important thing.

Do people realize the place of design?

In general, we're all sensitive to design. People don't buy all kinds of cars; we also select shoes, bicycles or helmets. We are all sensitive. Companies have also realised that it is important in all kinds of departments and sometimes also decisive.

Are there design features by location, country?

I could say that there are no design features depending on the place. There is no Basque or French or German design. There may be schools or movements, collective, at a given moment. But we can be close to a German design and far from one here. It's an intellectual exercise, so it's not related to the place.

After that, we may make a nod to the Basque tradition, which is our tradition, but it is not automatic. Then that tradition is not unique, there are many sources and traditions can be from many places; the same can be seen in Japan or in the Basque Country. I don't think design is formatted by the people.

Through Alki's experience, we prove that here you can create, that here you can do different things and that you can go to the world. To do this, you have to tell a special story and spend a lot of time thinking about what we are proposing.

It may be influenced by the industry or by a major activity. In a place where there is a strong industry; in Bizkaia or in part of Gipuzkoa this can influence. Chillida or Oteiza may not create 20-ton sculptures, pieces, without the tools and machines to produce them.

So also in design, we depend on the industrial activity of the environment. A character may appear depending on it, but it is not a local influence.

Do you have a tendency to cross Bidasoa?

Yes, we easily traverse the Bidasoa. As I said before, my colleague is Ander Lizaso from Oiartzun, I Azkaindarra, our colleague Maider Noblia comes from Baiona and are our collaborations on both sides of the border; we have a continuous relationship with five or six companies: Treku in Zarautz, Akaba in Usurbil, also in Azpeitia, Alki Itsasun, Sokoa in Hendaia... So yes, let's walk the border completely physically. From the very beginning, our intention was to physically tread that border. On the other hand, working from the north, industrial knowledge is much more numerous in Gipuzkoa, so when we go looking for a supplier, we go to an author who is folding the tubes. Today we have visited three companies in Irun. The truth is, we don't differentiate anything from the North of the South, we don't differentiate it in our everyday lives. We feel about here, Euskal Herritarrok, and we go where it is needed.

You've gone from Iratzoki to Lizaso design studio. How do you get the collaboration?

Indeed, after being just about 15-20 years on me, we've become Iratzoki Lizaso. First of all, we met Ander, we worked together and in 2016 we started working together, as two heads are better than one. Later, Maider and Eki are also there, so we're working on this study three or four. We're on a long table in this little cottage, and here we share the work. There's not a lot of hierarchy, we're doing it horizontally. You take care of a project, but then we share the work. Maider Noblia deals primarily with spaces and things emerge from mutual confrontation. We don't have a lot of methodology. We work until we are satisfied, that is, until we generate the idea; then we develop it through models or images, until we are content.

In general, we're all sensitive to design. People don't buy all kinds of cars, we also select shoes, bicycles or helmets. We are all sensitive.

We can spend a lot of time until we have a piece. Here we have to convince others, it is the first filter. We overcome this and we go more calmly to the industrial, which also there will have to convince and finally convince the buyer... these are stages. On the industrial side it may be said by the technician that this cannot be done in this way or that it will fall or should be done in another way. In these situations, our job is not to be stubborn, but it is to retain it and, as far as possible, to try to bring the project to its conclusion. It does not mean that we are right, but after listening to others, we take our intention, the company starts from its knowledge and from that union of ideas, something different, interesting and feasible.

You have also started work on some Basque objects.

They have called the Bai studio from the headquarters that houses the heritage of all the museums of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, as well as other architecture and design studios, asking if we could create some of the traditional objects. We have already done similar exercises. For Alki, for example, we went to Azpeitia to see some cesteros made of chestnuts. They're the last of Euskal Herria. With them we created the new collection. Although these memory processing exercises are not carried out automatically, they seem very interesting to us. If there's something missing in Euskal Herria, it's memory. Much is said about Euskal Herria, even more so about Pays Basque, but the memory is insufficient in all fields, both in architecture, design, ethnography...

Also in design, we depend on the industrial activity of the environment. A character may appear depending on it, but it is not a local influence.

We think it is important to know that a great deal has been done in this country; and here many things are done, even well done; the work in this country is not a topic, I think. Then objects, graphics, ways of doing and working that memory can be the source for creating new things.

In particular, in this work of the Council of Gipuzkoa we have caught pyrogravity. The oxen were wearing a decorated necklace and often burnt, based on pyrogravity, it was decorated, there were some small graphics...From there he started to see what can come out and on that we are, we are not yet finished.

How do you see the issue of the immaterial heritage of the Basque Country? What should be stored? What to rule out?

I am not a specialist in this area. Exercises have been carried out, many testimonies have been recorded in Euskal Herria on some subjects; I have just heard a recording of the girls who arrived in Iparralde from Navarra... At the end of the day, material and immaterial intersect. When we do work, for example, around an object, we not only refer to the physical object, but we are also referring to how I did it. For example, if we take a bicycle, we realize that it comes from the arms industry and the steel and mine arms industry... There's a cord to finally get to that bike. If we don't know this thread, you can cut it off and you can miss a good opportunity to activate something, today or tomorrow. Therefore, this material/immateriality, the products, the objects, are made in a context, all of them are made in an industrial, political, concrete social environment. In the North, the prestigious Laffargue House, with a belt adorned with nails, needs to know where it comes from, that is, that they were used in the front of the oxen; then they have put themselves in the belt and the belt has become a sleek element for both outsiders and locals. These contexts are immaterial and materialize in objects; they count on many things.

What's the most amazing job you've ever been asked about?

The most curious or ugly job has been to make a mine, a mine to destroy people, both in the Basque Country and in the Basque Country. The most amazing thing I don't know, we've made the collections of pargatas and many other things. We like to do new things. We just made a collection of lamps in Catalonia, lead lamps... We didn't know anything about that work, we've been submerged and we've done it, we've been happy, we've been surprised.

What is the object or theme that awakens your desire?

We have been thinking about it precisely in the study. What would we do to taste? It has emerged from that meeting that we would like to clean up a people.

When we do work around an object, for example, we not only refer to the physical object, but we are also analyzing how that object has been made ...

They seem to us to be ugly peoples, without entering architecture, but rather urbanism or internal organization, signs, landscapes, circulation, we would like to work together with an expert in urbanism.

A project you wouldn't accept?

Maybe more than a project, with whom is the answer... We don't want to work with anybody. When we get into a job, we don't put conditions on the table, but we don't just do one thing, we create a relationship and we know that that lasts, so it can also last for years, we want that relationship to be of quality. We chose it based on that. Today we have a lot of work with the companies here, we are also working outside by Canada, Catalonia, Spain, France and Europe, so what we want is to choose, depending on the relationship.

Creation in dreams?

Buf, maybe someday we'll have something good, we're always waiting for that. In the meantime we do, we create it and we are happy, so the road is important. Surely there will be new people in our study; our project is not just to do things, but how to do it, with whom and under what conditions we do it. Perhaps the dream project would be to set up a strong group and integrate young people and knowledge, to set up a nice study, to create partnerships, to create a dynamic.

Finally, my wish to answer a question that I have not postponed so far?

A question? I don't tell the truth, I don't have any other special questions...