Last week was that time of the year again; the week that all the interesting people were taking the train from Amsterdam to Eindhoven and not the other way around, as usual. Yes, it was Dutch Design Week 2010.
Contrary to what you might expect, Dutch design is more than just futuristic bicycles (although it is a big part, as you can see in the photo above). I attended the graduation show of the students of the Design Academy and in this post I have collected some of the works that struck my attention most.
I begin with a nice stop-motion animation film exploring the process of realising the designer's imagination, starring Walter:
Another graduate is concerned with the problem of getting young people acquainted with classical music. To achieve that, he uses guerilla tactics: he makes the silhouettes of a classical orchestra appear in an existing mainstream music video. The drums will take over the house beat and violins will take the place of the singer. You can see the interesting video in his website.
An eco-minded graduate proposes to use the space around the national high-voltage grid to connect areas of natural importance. Since the space around the pylons and cables cannot be used for building, by creating the right circumstances, these areas could become corridors for plants and animals. By thinking outside the box, you can turn a problem (unusable space because of power lines) into an opportunity (increased space for ecosystems).
The next graduate has created a heating body made from stone concrete that feels "like a brick wall glowing with the heat from the sun after a long summer’s day". I am sure it will look great in my villa in Tuscany.
The last exhibit I will share with you would drive my mother crazy: a lamp that attracts dust on purpose. The designer aimed to capture the beauty of dust and looks like he managed to do it.
That brings me to the end of my post with some of the many interesting things presented in Dutch Design Week. Stay tuned for more fascinating events in the Design Capital of Netherlands!
