AEVEN COLLECTIVE

A Seat at the Table

Open Call for Chairs and Artwork

AEVEN x Decorex 2026, the central bar. Olympia London, 11 to 14 October 2026. 

In association with Decorex. Logistics sponsored by Williams and Yates.

We are building the central bar at Decorex 2026, and we want it built from the industry itself.

At the heart of it is a long communal table. Around that table is a chair from every kind of maker in the industry. An armchair from one studio. A stool from another. A bench from a heritage workshop. A piece finished last month sitting next to one that has been made the same way for forty years. The table is one thing, shared. The chairs are all different. That is the point we are making about this industry: everyone has a seat.

Around the bar stand tall perimeter walls. The outward faces of those walls, the sides seen from the aisles and neighbouring stands, become a gallery. We are inviting artists to place work there, responding to the same idea of community and craft. So this open call is for two things: chairs and art.

The Open Call

The room, and who is in it

Decorex is one of the country’s leading fairs for decorative arts and interiors. It is not a fine art fair, and that shapes what belongs in this space. The people walking the show are interior designers and architects, and they are there to source. Special pieces for client projects, for showrooms, and for their own studios.

The bar is the prime spot in that room. It sits on the main aisle, in the busiest and most open part of the show, and it is where those designers stop, sit and talk. Your chair or your artwork is in front of them all day, not on a plinth behind a rope but in use and in the middle of the conversation.

That is the opportunity. A designer can discover your work here, sit in it or stand in front of it, and get to know the maker or artist behind it. This is how a sourcing relationship or a commission begins. We are looking for pieces a designer would want to specify, and for makers and artists who want to be found.

Who it is for

Makers, designers, brands, studios and craftspeople, whether or not you are exhibiting at Decorex. Submitting is an expression of interest, not a guarantee of selection. We are choosing for range across material, form and maker, so the table and the walls read as the whole industry rather than one corner of it.

If you would like to sell

You are welcome to offer your piece for sale, but there is no obligation to. Anything for sale is listed in the AEVEN online shop as well as being available to buyers at the show. That means your work can be bought by people who never make it to Olympia, not only those walking the fair, so the audience for it reaches well beyond the four days.

You set the price. AEVEN handles the enquiries and the transaction and retains a commission of 35 per cent of the final sale price, so you receive 65 per cent. If a piece sells, Williams and Yates deliver it to the buyer, so that is taken care of for you too. Your share is released once any statutory cancellation period for the sale has passed and the funds have cleared. To list a piece in the shop we will need a set of shop-ready images from you, set out in the submission list below. Pieces not for sale are simply loaned and returned.

Insurance

Your work is covered throughout. Williams and Yates insure it while it is in transit and storage with them, and AEVEN holds event insurance for it while it is on-site at Olympia for the show. We ask you to declare a fair replacement value at submission so the cover is accurate, and to tell us promptly of any particular fragility or handling requirement.

Now to 24 July 2026

By 31 July 2026

August to September 2026

10 October 2026

11 to 14 October 2026

What we are looking for

Chairs

Around seventy chairs, each one different, each from a different maker, brand or craftsperson. The ask is simple: one piece, loaned to us for the show, placed at the table, sat in and seen by thousands of design professionals across four days. It can be upholstered or bare, contemporary or heritage, a stool, a chair, an armchair or a two-seater bench. What matters is that someone made it and stands behind it.

One thing to be clear about: this is working seating. Your chair sits at a communal bar and will be used and sat on by the public throughout the show. It will be looked after, but please put forward a piece that can take everyday use rather than something too delicate to sit in.

Artwork

A series of works for the outward faces of the perimeter walls around the bar. These are decorative works for an interiors audience, the kind of piece a designer might place in a project, rather than work made only for a gallery wall. We are open to medium, framed pieces, textile, relief, panel work, as long as it can be wall-mounted and responds to the theme of community and craft.

What you receive

Every contributor is credited on-site and across the campaign. In practice that means:

  • A credit on the board within the bar, naming you and your piece.

  • Inclusion in the printed menu in the bar, with a QR code linking to your site or product.

  • A listing on the dedicated bar page, with a link back to you.

  • Inclusion in the Decorex PR and marketing campaign for the bar.

  • Social media promotion across AEVEN and Decorex channels through the build-up and the show.

  • Professional photography and film from the show, which we share with you to use yourself.

  • Your story told, not just your piece shown: your bio, the story of the work, and any process film go into the campaign so people get to know the maker behind it.

  • A place in the AEVEN chair directory, a guide to every piece and maker that we send to all AEVEN members to promote your involvement in the show.

  • Your chair in the highest-traffic space at Decorex, where thousands of designers, media and industry trade will see it, sit in it, and meet the maker behind it across four days.

Collection and return are handled for you. Our logistics partner, Williams and Yates, collects your piece, stores it, delivers it to Olympia, places it, collects it again at the end, and returns it to you in good order. If it sells, they deliver it to the buyer. There is no transport cost or handling burden on you.

Our logistics partner, Williams and Yates

The logistics for this project are sponsored by Williams and Yates, and we are grateful to them for it. They are specialists in fine art and fragile logistics, with their own crating, secure storage and installation teams, and they are handling the whole journey for you: collection from your studio, storage, delivery to Olympia, placement at the bar, collection at the close, and return. They insure your piece while it is in transit and in storage with them, and if your piece sells during the show, they deliver it to the buyer afterwards. You can read more about them at williamsandyates.co.uk.

The one thing we need from upholstered pieces

Decorex is a public space, so anything with fabric or upholstery has to meet a fire standard before it can come in. This is the single most important requirement in the call, and it is set out in full in Part Two. In short:

  • Upholstered or fabric pieces need a fire certificate to the right British Standard, or to be treated with flame-retardant spray off-site before delivery, with a certificate.

  • Solid timber and metal pieces have no specific fire requirement.

If your piece is upholstered and you are not sure where you stand, submit anyway and tell us. We can arrange treatment for pieces that are not already certified.

Key dates

When

From close on 14 October 2026

What happens

Open call live. Submissions accepted.

Selections confirmed and contributors notified.

Williams and Yates collect pieces, by arrangement with you.

Pieces delivered to Olympia and placed in the bar.

Decorex. Your piece on show.

Breakdown. Pieces packed and returned to you.

How to submit

Learn more

Please have ready:

About you and your studio

  • Your name, and your studio, brand or maker name.

  • Contact details: email, telephone, and the address for collection and return.

  • Your website and social media channels.

  • A short bio of you or your studio.

Your piece

  • The title of the piece, and whether it is a chair, artwork, or both.

  • The full story of the piece: what it is, and the thinking behind it.

  • Main materials and composition.

  • Dimensions (width, depth and height in cm, plus seat height for chairs) and weight.

  • Three or four good images of the piece.

  • Year made, and whether it is a one-off, prototype, limited edition or production piece.

  • How you will package it for collection, and whether it needs crating.

For the campaign

  • Any images or film of you, your studio or the making process that we can use across social media.

  • Professional photography of the submitted piece, where available.

  • Professional videography of the submitted piece or making process, where available.

  • Any additional images or film of you, your studio or the making process that we can use across social media.

  • The names and social media handles of any photographers, videographers or collaborators who should be credited whenever their work is shared.

Notes: High-resolution images where possible (minimum 3000px on the longest edge) in JPEG or PNG format. Please avoid screenshots, heavily compressed images or images with text overlays.

Fire, for upholstered or fabric pieces

  • Whether the piece has upholstery or fabric, and if so whether you hold a fire certificate, or need us to arrange treatment.

Insurance and sale

  • A declared replacement value for insurance.

  • Whether the piece is for sale and, if so, the price. AEVEN takes 35 per cent commission; you receive 65 per cent.

  • For pieces for sale, shop-ready images: a professional cut-out shot on a plain background and a lifestyle shot in a setting.

We use the details you provide only to run this open call and the installation, and we handle them in line with our privacy policy.

Terms and Conditions

These terms govern the loan of chairs and artwork by contributors (“you”, “the Contributor”) to AEVEN Collective Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (number 17089530) (“AEVEN”, “we”), for the installation “A Seat at the Table” at the central bar at Decorex 2026, Olympia London, 11 to 14 October 2026 (“the Event”). By submitting a piece (“the Work”) you agree to them.

1. The loan

  1. Each Work is loaned to AEVEN for the Event and remains the property of the Contributor at all times, unless it is sold under clause 7.

  2. The loan period runs from collection by our logistics partner until the Work is returned to the Contributor or, if it is sold, delivered to the buyer after the Event.

  3. Submission is an expression of interest. AEVEN selects the final pieces and is not obliged to accept or display any Work.

2. Fire safety and compliance

This clause is binding and non-negotiable. Decorex is a public environment, and AEVEN is responsible for confirming that every piece brought into the space is compliant. A Work that does not meet these requirements cannot be admitted, however it has been selected.

  1. Upholstered and fabric Works must meet BS 5852 (the ignition standard for upholstered seating). Any curtain, drape or loose fabric element must meet BS 5867 Type B or equivalent.

  2. Solid timber and metal Works have no specific fire requirement and need no certificate.

  3. Evidence. For any upholstered or fabric Work, the Contributor must provide a fire certificate or test report to AEVEN before the Work is collected. AEVEN keeps these certificates on file, as Decorex requires.

  4. Uncertified pieces. Where an upholstered Work is not already certified, it may be treated with a flame-retardant spray. This treatment must be carried out off-site, before the Work is delivered, in a well-ventilated setting, and a treatment certificate must be provided. AEVEN can arrange this treatment by agreement; the Contributor must tell us at submission if it is needed.

  5. No on-site fix. Treatment cannot be done at Olympia. A Work that arrives uncertified and untreated will be turned away, and AEVEN cannot be responsible for the wasted journey.

3. Transport, handling and placement

  1. Collection, storage, delivery to Olympia, placement, collection at the close of the show, and return to the Contributor are handled by AEVEN’s appointed logistics partner, Williams and Yates, at no cost to the Contributor. Where a Work is sold, Williams and Yates also deliver it to the buyer.

  2. Collection takes place across August and September 2026, by arrangement. The Contributor agrees to make the Work available within that window and to provide a collection address and contact.

  3. The Contributor is responsible for packaging the Work safely for collection and must say at submission how it will be packaged and whether it needs crating. Where specialist crating is required, AEVEN and Williams and Yates will arrange it. [TO CONFIRM: whether the cost of specialist crating sits with AEVEN or the Contributor.]

  4. A condition report is made on collection and again on return, and signed at both ends, giving both parties a clean record of the Work’s state.

  5. Exhibitors who prefer to bring their Work directly to their own stand during install may do so by prior agreement. These pieces sit outside the Williams and Yates collection but are subject to the same fire, insurance and condition terms.

  6. The Contributor must declare any fragility, weight or specific handling requirement at submission so it can be planned for.

4. Condition and suitability

  1. Chairs are placed at a communal table and will be used and sat on by members of the public throughout the show. By submitting a chair, the Contributor accepts that it will be in active public use. Any Work submitted as seating must be structurally sound and safe for normal use.

  2. Artwork must be capable of secure wall-mounting on the perimeter walls and must arrive ready to hang or with its fixing requirements clearly stated.

  3. AEVEN may decline or withdraw any Work that it judges, at its discretion, to be unsafe, non-compliant or unsuitable for the space.

5. Insurance and liability

  1. Williams and Yates insure each Work against loss or damage while it is in transit and in storage with them. AEVEN holds event insurance covering each Work while it is on-site at Olympia during the show, so the Work is covered across the full loan period.

  2. The Contributor must declare a fair replacement value for the Work at submission. Cover is based on the declared value, so an inaccurate figure may limit any settlement.

  3. AEVEN’s liability for loss or damage is limited to the cover provided by that insurance. AEVEN is not liable for normal wear from display and public use, nor for any pre-existing condition recorded on collection.

  4. [TO CONFIRM before publishing: that AEVEN’s on-site event cover is bound with the insurer; that the Williams and Yates transit and storage cover is adequate for the declared values; and the policy basis, per-item limit, excess and valuation basis for both. Align this clause to the actual policies so contributors are not promised more or less than the cover delivers.]

6. Marketing, credit and image rights

  1. Every Contributor is credited on the on-site credit board, in the printed menu, and on the dedicated bar listing, naming the Contributor and the Work.

  2. By submitting, the Contributor grants AEVEN and Decorex the right to photograph and film the Work and to use its name, the Work’s images, the bio and the story of the piece, and any maker or process images and film the Contributor supplies, across AEVEN and Decorex marketing, PR and social channels, before, during and after the Event. Where the Contributor or their team appear in that material, this consent extends to their likeness.

  3. AEVEN shares show photography and film with the Contributor for their own use.

  4. The Contributor confirms it holds the rights to the Work and to any images and film it supplies, and that AEVEN’s use of them will not infringe a third party’s rights.

7. Sale and commission

  1. A Work may be offered for sale at the Contributor’s option. The Contributor sets the price and states at submission whether the Work is for sale.

  2. Works offered for sale are listed in the AEVEN online shop and are also available to buyers at the Event, so they may be purchased by people who do not attend in person.

  3. For a Work offered for sale, the Contributor provides images suitable for the online shop, being a professional cut-out shot, a lifestyle shot and further images of the Work, and confirms it holds the rights to use them.

  4. AEVEN manages all sale enquiries and transactions, whether online or at the show. Where a Work sells, Williams and Yates deliver it to the buyer. [TO CONFIRM: whether delivery to the buyer is at the buyer’s cost.]

  5. On any sale, AEVEN retains a commission of 35 per cent of the final sale price. The Contributor receives the remaining 65 per cent.

  6. The Contributor’s share is released after any statutory cancellation period that applies to the sale has passed and once funds have cleared, against an invoice or sales record. Each party is responsible for its own tax position on its share.

  7. [TO CONFIRM: the exact cancellation period and wording under UK consumer protection law for distance and online sales, and the VAT treatment of the commission and the sale, with Sharne or the accountant. Not legal advice; this should be checked before publishing.]

8. Return

  1. Works are packed and returned by Williams and Yates after the show closes on 14 October, to the address from which they were collected unless agreed otherwise.

  2. A sold Work is delivered to the buyer by Williams and Yates under arrangements confirmed by AEVEN, rather than returned to the Contributor.

9. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any dispute is subject to the courts of England and Wales.

10. Data protection

AEVEN uses the personal details a Contributor provides only to run this open call, the installation and any resulting sale, and handles them in line with applicable data protection law. These details are shared with AEVEN’s logistics partner to arrange collection, delivery and return, and, where a Work is sold, as needed to complete the sale. They are not otherwise passed to third parties.

11. Agreement

Submitting a Work to the open call confirms that the Contributor has read and accepts these terms. Anything not covered here will be handled in good faith between the Contributor and AEVEN, with the safety and integrity of the installation as the guiding principle.