Dutch Design Week 2019: here’s an insight into some alluring projects
Dutch Design Week takes place in Eindhoven every year since 2007 and is among the most globally renowned design events for its experimental focus and daring spirit
“If not us, then who?” was the slogan for the Dutch Design Week 2018, delivering a high-dose of responsibility to design professionals and their impact on the environment and human society.
In 2019 the slogan evolved further to an urgent call: “If not NOW, then WHEN?”. This year, DesignWanted co-hosted the talk about Architecture & Public Space, don’t miss the video recap here below.
With the main focus on experimentation, Dutch Design Week differentiates from other design events around the globe purposely lacking a traditional commercial fair, but giving space to research and exploration of processes, materials, techniques and applications with a future-oriented mindset.
From this year, Dutch Design Week features a new element of curated talks program, revolving the themes of design. The topics of these conferences range from social and bio-design to future living, art & collectables, digital design as well as craft & new materials.
The festival consists of 9 design areas throughout the city of Eindhoven, efficiently connected by a dedicated bus service included in the entrance ticket to the event. Each district has its own aim and culture: follow our journey through the main ones and discover the most unique projects of Dutch Design Week 2019.
Design districts:
Strijp S+T+R, NORTH-WEST
One place to sense the innovative and experimental spirit of DDW is definitely Strijp-S+T+R. Shaped by industrial spaces and a large outdoor area, this huge district shows how design, research, and technology play a key role in the society of the future.
Morfoza is a unique and versatile luminaire by Catrinel Studio which uses the light spectrum to create mesmerizing light effects, offering an escape into the realm of otherworldly light and color, questioning visual perception.
Obviously, Eindhoven based designer Piet Hein Eek took part in the DDW19 opening the doors of his massive studio & shop-space, also showing his new upcycled trashed monumental heads.
You can now print complex concrete objects with 3D printers and materials by Concr3de.
Sectie-C, NORTH-EAST
Presented as a design hub, Sectie-C of the Dutch Design Week gives you a unique insight into the world of design behind the curtains. The site presents openly design studios and respective exhibitions inside and outside.
The combination of creative entrepreneurs, designers, artists, and musicians ensure that Sectie-C has a real and alive festival vibe.
With it’s numerous, unique joints, the Hyperion’s is a project by Paul Heihnen and resembles a dream creature from the minds of Dali and DaVinci.
Hyperion is easily manipulated into an almost endless array of stances.
The project by antigoon is a monumental wall art and live installation performed by robots using spraypaint.
Stilled Life is an audiovisual project by Rive Roshan and is intended as a play on perspective with light, colored glass and reflections.
Design Academy Eindhoven, Campina, EAST
As each year, the influential Design Academy of Eindhoven presents the Graduation Show during Dutch Design Week.
Traversing the boundaries between the four Master’s and eight Bachelor’s departments, the Graduation Show continues to redefine designers and their work, sparking debate and asserting the school’s positioning within the field.
The craft-techmen project by Kodai Shimizu suggests new artefacts for our modern daily lives to question the materials and electronic technologies surrounding us.
Atome is a flexible activewear protection by Virgile Tanguy.
Suitable for a wide range of sports, this product will ensure regular protection against shocks while letting your movements free thanks to its structure.
Ejaculation Series is an artistic project by Ahn Sung-Hwan that raises questions about the perception of our own face, triggering a dialogue around necessary and private spaces.
Downtown, CENTRAL
In the Downtown and Central area, visitors can explore the Dutch Design Week as well as the center of the city of Eindhoven.
From exhibitions in Van Abbemuseum to local design stores, the Central and Downtown areas show the everpresent design culture in Eindhoven.
Studio Giftig consists of the Netherlands-based artist duo Niels van Swaemen and Kaspar van Leek who create murals in uncredible definition, developing a very own visual language.
Foreign Bodies is a collection of furniture and lighting by Collin Townsend Velkoff inspired by space exploration and celestial bodies, presented at Unlimited Design by the milanese crew of Isola Design District.
3D Printed Bar by Caracol Studio was produced using an anthropomorphic robotic system that recycled the production waste of coffee pods by Lavazza, main sponsor of Isola Design District.
Hallenweg, SOUTH-WEST
The Hallenweg area is filled by private studios opened to the public and presenting projects around the topics of interaction, sustainability as well as ceramic craft and its fusion with technology.
OC1 – Unique omnidirectional speakers manufactured from upcycled concrete by Mark Loopstra & Damiaen Hogervorst from YKMA design.
50/50 is an enormous ‘coin track’ installation by Eindhoven based creative agency HeyHeyDeHaas.
MAA is an Istanbul based architectural and design studio creating visionary and futuristic projects ranging from product to urbanistic scales.
