ICFF Art Director Rodolfo Agrella Shares His Vision, Key Trends for 2026

The Venezuelan, New York City-based designer and architect talks to WWD about ICFF’s strategic move to November and how organizers are building a community during this year’s NYCxDesign week.​The Venezuelan, New York City-based designer and architect talks to WWD about ICFF’s strategic move to November and how organizers are building a community during this year’s NYCxDesign week. 

Venezuelan artist Rodolfo Agrella has just returned to New York City from Milan Design Week, where he presented his suspended brass mobile Natyam with India’s Shakti Design Residency at Alcova. The sculptural piece explored rhythm and movement and inspired the design-curious to take a pause, something he thinks will take center stage at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF)’s return to the Javits Center on May 17 to 19.

Since 2023 Agrella has been working as art director of the event, which until now has served as the anchor event to NYCxDesign. During that time he’s explored how he can create spaces that bring members of the design community together.

Agrella founded his own firm, RADS, in 2015 and it specializes in art and creative direction; spatial interventions for interiors, exhibitions, and other architectural environments, and product and graphic design.  His vision recently reverberated worldwide during the canonization in 2025 of Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez, Venezuela’s first saint, for which he was asked to design a reliquary, or vessel, for a fragment of her remains.

This year’s ICFF highlights includes the return of Rarify, an online marketplace and brand specializing in curated vintage and contemporary high-end furniture and lighting, and it has linked with Berlin’s Bauhaus Archiv and German producer of Bauhaus icons Tecta for an exhibition.

Agrella talked with WWD about ICFF’s 2026 theme “Common Ground: A Global Dialogue on Design and Shared Values,” trends, vision and and the organizers’ surprise decision to move the the 37-year-old fair to Nov. 7 in 2027 in order to distance it from the frenetic spring calendar, which starts with Salone del Mobile.Milano in April and extends through 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen in June.

WWD: You just returned from Salone del Mobile.Milano and Milan Design Week, which closed April 26. What trends did you identify in Milan, and which ones do you think will be paramount at ICFF?
Rodolfo Agrella: A major observation at Salone was the necessity to pause— design is stripping away superficial elements to emphasize core values like longevity, functionality and material honesty. I noticed a focus on natural, pared-down materials like unstained wood and metals that tell their own story as they age. This philosophy aligns with ICFF’s approach, where products are seen as long-term investments with meaningful impact on people’s lives.

WWD: What do you think of this strategic decision to move ICFF to Nov. 7? As a creator, do you think more people will be drawn to the fair?

R.A.: Absolutely — it’s like an oxygen bomb. Moving to November opens opportunities for exhibitors and visitors. It allows international brands to regroup after Salone and present something fresh for the U.S. audience. It’s also a perfect time for businesses, bridging the calendar year and holiday season, when budgets are finalized, and companies are prepared to invest.

WWD: This year’s ICFF is all about building community and creating dialogue. Could you tell us more about the activation areas at ICFF integral to that goal?

R.A.: ICFF, it’s a unique show in many senses, because it celebrates the design community, first of all. Second of all, it celebrates design. There are not many design shows in America like that because [design events in the U.S.] are more transactional [or business focused]. In this particular case, and that’s the main reason why I collaborate with them, it’s because it’s about the community. I was commissioned to do all of these key activation areas where talks are happening, different lounges around the show that involves the sponsorship of many companies.

Each year, the activation areas evolve. For example, the Main Stage Hub includes a café and event space where talks and book signings take place. It’s like an auditorium kind of area envisaged for us to provide hospitality-related elements to the community besides going to a Starbucks outside. We want people to feel welcome, and to stay and connect because it’s in those moments when you stay for a coffee or for a glass of Champagne after a book signing situation. 

WWD: How does your design vision avoid this “transactional aspect” and bring more allure to the fair?

R.A.: This year, I’ve embraced an architectural approach using textiles to redefine sterile, clinical spaces like the Javits Center. This year, I took a dark approach for the talks, using black velvet on the walls and floor to create a space where people and content become the main focus. Within this black “universe,” a white floating platform with [Italian design company] Moroso furniture serves as the stage. Aligned with the theme of “Finding Common Ground,” the muted, desaturated background celebrates diversity, allowing both people and products to truly shine.

WWD: As someone who was once noticed through Salone del Mobile.Milano’s Salone Satellite program to support emerging talent… what role do young designers and schools play in ICFF’s programming through the Launch Pad which originates from the WantedDesign [which was originally founded in 2011 by International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) cobrand directors Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat]?

R.A.: We’ve created a progression system for emerging talent, allowing young designers to break into the industry step by step. This includes the Launch Pad [the young talent’s section] for new graduates, Lookbook for small studios, and a Design Schools Workshop, where students collaborate on live projects during the show. ICFF nurtures talent by giving these groups a dedicated platform to grow until they’re ready for larger booths or high-level collectible design.