Vers ma biographie en français
Eric Pringels (born 1971, Brussels) is a Swiss-Belgian artist, photographer, digital product designer, and innovation facilitator based in Marseille, France. His career spans from print and graphic design to UX/UI product design, scenography, and documentary photography. He is best known for co-initiating Marseille 2013 Off, an alternative program to the European Capital of Culture, and for Yes We Camp, a participatory urban camping project that later became an international reference. Alongside his design and cultural initiatives, he has exhibited photographic series in Europe and is currently pursuing research into phygital experiences and object design (3D printing, digital fabrication).
Early life and education
Pringels was born in Brussels in 1971 to a family of painters and typographic composers. He studied architecture at the Université Libre de Bruxelles before shifting toward graphic design and later digital product design. In the early 2000s, he relocated to Marseille, where he co-founded the studio Etincelles/E330, blending design, artistic practice, and collective initiatives.
Career
- 1990s: Worked as a graphic and typographic designer in Brussels with several creative studios.
- 2004–2008: Founded Etincelles/E330 in Marseille, providing consulting and creative services in communication.
- 2008–2016: Lecturer in UX, graphic design, and communication at SupdeWeb and ECV (Marseille/Aix).
- 2013–2016: Lead UX/UI Designer at Natural Solutions (environmental web/mobile applications).
- 2016–2018: Product Designer at Letsignit (SaaS platform).
- 2018–2020: Senior Design Director at Privowny (privacy-tech solutions).
- 2020–2024: Head of Design at Vianova.io (B2G SaaS platform for mobility data).
- Since 2024: Focused on personal research and entrepreneurial ventures, including the speculative mobility project Micheline and a design-heritage business ecosystem.
Associations and initiatives
Pringels has founded or presided over several associations and collectives, including:
- Architecture en Scène (Brussels, 1990s), producing installations and public space interventions.
- Marseille 2013 Off, a citizen-driven alternative to the official European Capital of Culture program.
- Yes We Camp, a participatory urban camping project that became a widely recognized model for collaborative urbanism.
- Donut InfoLab, a research-action lab combining data, culture, and territorial approaches.
- Sprint Doctors, an innovation and agile facilitation collective.
Artistic practice and photography
Photography has been a central thread in his work. Notable series include:
- Matricules (2003, Brussels)
- Smell of Marseille (2018, Église Saint-Ferréol, Marseille), black-and-white portraits of people on the Canebière boulevard
He has also taken part in group exhibitions in France and abroad (Berlin, Venice, Helsinki).
His installations and performances often occur in public space, such as Plage Administrative, Walkabout Stalk.
Style and themes
Pringels’ practice is marked by:
- Exploration of collective forms (flocks, murmurations, temporary communities).
- A focus on urban dynamics and city usage.
- A continuous blending of art and innovation: from print design to phygital experiences, from scenography to UX design.
- A strong engagement with mobility, influenced by the fact that he has never held a driver’s license, inspiring artistic and speculative projects such as Micheline.
Recognition and impact
- His role in Marseille 2013 Off has been documented in academic publications as an example of citizen-driven cultural initiatives.
- Yes We Camp has grown into an international reference for participatory and temporary urban projects.
- His current research in object design and digital fabrication extends this logic of hybridizing art, design, and technological innovation.
Selected works and exhibitions
- Smell of Marseille, 2018, Marseille
- Micheline, 2010 & 2007, Marseille and Brussels
- La Dodue, 2004, Brussels
- Matricules, 2003, Brussels
- 1st Art Nomad Biennale, 2015, itinerant exhibition to Venice
- Street Projections, 2016, Berlin
Online presence
- Official website: ericpringels.com
- “Micheline Internationale” project page (Facebook)
- LinkedIn, Instagram (photographic series and recent projects)
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