DUTCH DESIGN WEEK

It is the end of october and I decide to take a couple of days of. The studio is filled with clay and modelers, tools everywhere. With a final information feed and a clear conscience I hit the train to Eindhoven. "Block in that rocker, next week we will do the refinement".

Since the beginning of the last century Eindhoven has been known for its light bulbs. In our post industrial era, production was moved to Asia and Amsterdam seemed a better location to set up the head quarter tents. The industrial city in the south of the Netherlands was left behind with a heart of empty production facilities. Nowadays the hometown of Philips has more to offer than consumer electronics alone. Design is the buzz word in Philips Town. Year by year the so called Dutch Design Week seems to get more serious attention. Eindhoven as the "little Milano" among the design minded?

Spread out over the center there are many locations to visit. Galleries, exhibitions, openings etc. Furniture and other objects on the roof of Volvos. For a few Euros these "design rides" will take you everywhere. Friends first. With Floris I visit the Design Academies graduation show, followed up by a good night out with a bunch of dutch Carfreax. Fruitful discussions about design, cars and the future of our blog. 

The whole week I left my camera at home, capturing the status quo of design by eyes, not by pixel. Before I return to Germany a last visit is paid to Strijp. This is the part of Eindhoven where things are really moving. Creative minds are taking over the old industrial sites. One of the historic Philips buildings has been transformed into a design fair. Down to earth and with a smell of the industrial era different design offices present their work in a relaxed atmosphere.

Rik, his son and i take our time to get inspired. Furniture, textiles, colors and materials. Desaturated palettes and a wide range of ceramic experiments. Foamed, sand blasted, burned, polished. 2010 will definitely be mango meets teddy bear! Four hours and two hundred pictures later I plunge into my seat as the train leaves the station. Enough food for the brain, enough design for a while. Finish that rocker tomorrow morning...ceramic finish, why not?

 

Comments

[Geert]

Can I buy the book? Perfect pix as usual! Saw most of this too, but dearly missed my camera.
Wanted to go pick it up, but while the festivities continued (1 thru 6 PM) I was waiting for the ANWB (Dutch AA) on top of the adjacent parking deck and organizing transport of my demotivated Porker to its doctor. First time it let me down in 7 1/2 years, but -man- this was in style.
Good thing the sun shone all afternoon.