Renny Ramakers Renny Ramakers Official site

Hello.

Co-founder and director of Droog, Renny Ramakers initiates projects, curates design exhibitions, and lectures worldwide. She is a judging panellist on various design boards and has advised on governmental advisory boards, amongst others as a member of the Dutch Council of Culture (1995-2001). As a critic, she has contributed to international magazines, books and catalogues, and has authored several books. She is chairman of the board of THNK, Amsterdam school for creative leadership.

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Design Matters #6: Het beste uit Milaan

Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam
do 23 mei 2013
20:00 — 22:00

Deze avond wordt er een overzicht gegeven van het beste, slechtste, mooiste, lelijkste, raarste en ordinairste van De Salone del Mobile 2013.

De Salone del Mobile in Milaan is het belangrijkste designevenement van het jaar. Ruim drieduizend ontwerpers en interieurmerken tonen hier meer dan tienduizend nieuwe producten aan de wereld. Geen mens die dat allemaal in amper een week tijd kan verwerken. Daarom wordt er deze avond een overzicht gegeven van het beste, slechtste, mooiste, lelijkste, raarste en ordinairste van de lichting 2013 uit Milaan.

Op het podium worden door Jeroen Junte diverse Nederlandse ontwerpers geïnterviewd over hun nieuwe collectie. Daarnaast presenteren uiteenlopende professionals hun hoogte- en dieptepunten en een trendanalyse van de meubelbeurs in Milaan. Deze presentaties en interviews gaan vergezeld van talrijke foto’s en video’s. Met o.a. Aldo Bakker (Studio Tjep), Renny Ramakers (Droog Design).

Design Matters is een tweemaandelijkse avond in Pakhuis De Zwijger. Samenstelling en presentatie is in handen van Jeroen Junte, auteur van het boek Hands On: Dutch design in de 21st eeuw en journalist voor o.a. de Volkskrant, Eigen Huis & Interieur en Frame.

Gratis entree.
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The best bits

For those who couldn’t make it to Milan this year, don’t worry, Droog is showcasing all of the best bits from its Milan presentation right here in the heart of Amsterdam. Come and see our latest works, collaborations and initiatives in this curated selection on display only at Hôtel Droog.

Firstly, Rijks Studio, a joint initiative with the Rijksmuseum. Century old works are reinterpreted in contemporary shapes, techniques and materials. A highlight is the famous centre piece by German silversmith Wenzel Jamnitzer, now lavishly decorated with 3-D printed magnetic miniatures of the Rijksmuseum collection. Last year, Rijksmuseum introduced Rijks Studio, a website with 125.000 digital images of the rich collection. All images are freely downloadable for personal creative use.

Secondly, The New Original. With an aim to raise discourse on the future of design, this project uses Chinese copycat culture as a framework for creating a new kind of original. By linking copying to creativity, we hope to demonstrate that the process of copying is clearly more than just mere replication—it can be a real driver of innovation.

In addition, there is the screening of two projects that inspire future design directions. In ‘New Urban Luxuries’ The Why Factory and Droog Lab present five future city concepts, the result of Droog’s expedition to the Canadian Arctic in search of new urban luxuries. Each imaginary city is a manifestation of a quality found in this remote part of the world. With Material Matters Media, TD and Droog Lab present a series of innovative responses to the growing problem of material scarcity by imagining future companies.

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All in one carpet from Gafsa region (Tunisia)

Droog presents in partnership with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), SeeMe and Studio Droog the “All in one carpet – Gafsa region”. This special edition of carpets in various sizes and patterns was designed and executed in Tunisia by four artisans from Gafsa region, one of the most ancient but yet least developed region in the country, and a nesting place for the Jasmine revolution. The carpets will be exhibited at Hôtel Droog in Amsterdam from May 16th – June 2nd.

Studio Droog introduced one of their design concepts ‘The All in One carpet’ as an open format for the four artisans involved. The format, served as an “open yet unifying umbrella” combining local design and execution in diverse styles and techniques. Instead of imposing externally designed patterns, Droog’s approach served as inspiration and guidance, leaving each artisan free to design and execute sections in his or her own style and technique.

The outcome is a family of nine carpets summing up to 20 m2 whose product development process created stronger ties amongst the artisans, reframing historical patterns and techniques in a contemporary context. The exhibition also features other carpets designed by the artisans after the workshop with Studio Droog.

The carpets act as a structure for cooperation revitalizing the region’s ancient glory. Traces of patterns used in the Gafsa carpets go back 15,000 years to the Capsian civilisation. Paul Klee saw in them the first expression of cubism and, during the centuries, they have been influencing many more artists such as Kandinsky and Macke.

Exhibition
Where: Hôtel Droog
When: May 16th - June 2nd

The project is part of a multi-agency programme in Tunisia funded by the Spanish funds for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG-F), and implemented by UNIDO with the aim of helping achieving full employment for Tunisian youth. The project intervenes along the entire regional value chain of the carpet production, through a series of interventions to ameliorate the soft and hard skills of the artisans while improving their livelihoods, increasing their productive capacity and granting access to new markets.

Fair Design has framed the partnership. Introduced by SeeMe, further explored by Studio Droog, and endorsed by UNIDO, Fair Design advocates for the development of design products that uses local skills and knowledge for promoting sustainable socio and economic growth.

IRRITATION #7: Heartbreak with Liat Azulay

We all have suffered from a broken heart or two. But while almost every song, book or movie is inspired by the heartbreak, being heartbroken is not really taken seriously in society. Even though, “lovesickness” is really a sickness and studies show that it has an effect on the brain and the heart, it is still something people think lightly about. You can feel really sick, but it’s not an acceptable reason not to go to work or to cancel your friend’s birthday party. But while it’s still a taboo in the Netherlands, in other parts of the world we see a hype of divorce parties, and in Japan there even is a divorce ring. Your heart might be broken but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.

Join Liat Azulay, founder of ludduvuddu, as she discusses her dilemma with heartbreak. How can we take heartbreak seriously, without taking it too seriously? How can we make use of the strength and mentality that comes with a heartbreak?

Free entrance
Who: Liat Azulay
When: May 22
DINNER 6:00 - 7:00pm (soup 6 euro / salad 9,50 euro / snacks)
IRRITATION 7:30 - 9:00pm (The bar will stay open until 10:00pm)
Where: Café & tearoom ROOMSERVICE (upstairs at Hôtel Droog)

Debate: The New Original

Recently we worked on two projects related to copying. Rijksmuseum digitalized 125,000 items from their collection and opened them to the public. Everyone is free to download and use these images, and Droog was invited to make a number of designs with these images. Initiated by Droog, for the second project, a design team visited China, and together with Chinese designers copied typical Chinese products with the aim of giving them a new twist. The projects are meant as a statement. Strictly applied copyright laws block innovation, wheras copying creatively stimulates it. Are designers prepared to freely allow their designs to be creatively copied by others? How could this work? Do copies devalue the originals or do they honour and promote them? How can we deal with it copyright in this respect and what’s the future?

Join us at Hôtel Droog as we discuss these questions and more. Moderated by Renny Ramakers (co-founder of Droog), guests include Wim Pijbes (director of Rijksmuseum), Richard Hutten (designer, to be confirmed), Bas van Beek (designer) and Mieke Gerritzen (designer and director of Museum of the Image).

Free entrance
Who: Renny Ramakers, Wim Pijbes, Richard Hutten, Bas van Beek, Mieke Gerritzen
When: Thursday, May 30th
DINNER 6:00 - 7:30pm (soup 6 euro / salad 9,50 euro / snacks)
IRRITATION 8:00 - 9:30pm (The bar will stay open until 10:30pm)
Where: Café & tearoom ROOMSERVICE (upstairs at Hôtel Droog)

IRRITATION #8: Perfection with Erik Kessels

In a world where everything is pointing towards perfection it is for creative thinkers important to fight against this. Searching for an imperfection opens up new ways of thinking. It is a challenge to dare to make mistakes in creative processes. Forcing yourself to make an error will change the way of thinking and avoid stereotypical solutions. By opening up yourself to these deliberate mistakes your way of thinking will be more open and free.

Join us as Erik Kessels, photography collector, art director and founding partner of KesselsKramer shares his irritation.

Who: Erik Kessels
When: June 5
DINNER 6:00 - 7:00pm (soup 6 euro / salad 9,50 euro / snacks)
IRRITATION 7:30 - 9:00pm (The bar will stay open until 10:00pm)
Where: Café & tearoom ROOMSERVICE (upstairs at Hôtel Droog)

During the IRRITATIONS series a selected number of fearless speakers stand up and share their most annoying irritation to those willing to listen and react. An informal evening fuelled by a mix of inspiration and frustration, laughter and tears on how just the smallest thing can make life so irritating and how irritation can lead to inspiration.

Hotel Droog.

Hotel Droog

At the historical centre of Amsterdam, Hôtel Droog is a place where you can come for a drink, a bite to eat, exclusive shopping, exhibitions, beauty advice, a stroll in the garden, a lecture series, or even a bed for the night. Featuring the Droog Store, Gallery, Dining Room, Fairy Tale Garden, Beauty at Cosmania, Fashion at Kabinet, Products at Weltevree, and the one and only Bedroom, Hôtel Droog is conspicuously housed in 700 square metres in a 17th century building, promising to be a new cultural home in the heart of Amsterdam.

www.hoteldroog.com