Dutch Design Week 2011 took place from October 22nd-30th. It was the tenth edition of this annual design festival, which takes place in Eindhoven Holland. There are 65 different locations housing more than 300 events. Besides exhibitions, there are numerous lectures, workshops, fashion shows and seminars showcasing “unparalleled ideas, individualistic works and insightful solutions devised by innovative designers.” I, and a few others from DBN were lucky enough to check out a selection of this year’s shows. Boasting 150,000 visitors, we were all expecting a good show! And we were not let down.
Here is a summary of our favourites…
An inspiring return exhibition from Dirk van der Kooij with his printed chairs, made from a reclaimed industrial robot using old recycled refrigerators.
Also exhibiting was the ubiquitous Dutch product design company Philips, with their Microbial Home exhibition as part of their Philips Design Probe scheme. The exhibition investigates the domestic ecosystem taking a new more ethical slant, using biological processes to deal with waste, lighting, food preparation or cleaning.
Paternoster Plastic Waste Up-Cycler
I was surprised and delighted to find out that plastics can be broken down and recycled using mushrooms (which then can be consumed!).
Also a fantastic concept to harvest honey with an ingenious Urban Beehive for honey on tap- not only beautifully simple and elegant, but ethical! SAVE THE BEES! The exhibition was only conceptual but it was astonishing to realise such things are possible.
Organic Factory
From the Eindhoven Design Academy graduation show, exhibiting his “Reworking Leftovers” was Ruben Thier utilising semi-manufactured products such as plastic tubing and brightly coloured waste material to create household items. Ruben Their utilised materials which are discarded during manufacture process and puts them to good use.
The Illusion of a Perfect Generation
Boudewien van den Berg exhibited the idea of “realising a Utopia,” Photoshopping the faces of himself and fellow students and altering their proportions to match the scientific formula of perfection. Berg aims to “contribute to the zeitgeist without doing anything.” The result? A very creepy blend of Frankenstein meets Vogue…
Aoife Wullur combined home lighting, fabric screens and curtains by weaving electronic lines creating a customisable piece.
Anne Vader looked to change people’s perceptions of stitching as “dedicated drudgery” to “reverie”. I love the idea and can easily imagine sitting after dinner and making some crazy shapes (with string), it’s a good talking point too. Wishing you all a very happy Friday from Design Bridge, enjoy!
Steven, DBN
