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Current events
The New Originality: lessons from China
The Droog Lab project, The New Originality was kicked-off with a trip to Shenzhen from December 11th – 17th, where concepts were developed and public lectures and debates were had at Fangsou in Guangzhou, and at OCT Art and Design Gallery in Shenzhen. Outcomes will be presented in 2012 at Today Art Museum.
Project team
Content direction: Renny Ramakers (Droog), Li Degeng (Today Art Museum)
Local partner: Today Art Museum, Beijing and OCT Art and Design Gallery, Shenzhen
Designers: Ed Annink, Richard Hutten, Xiaodu Liu, Stanley Wong
Droog team: Rachel Harding, Marielle Janmaat, Agata Jaworska
Belgium: Identity matters?
Clinging to one’s identity can cause a lot of hardships—stagnation, cultural clashes, alienation and political instability. One of the original six founders and home to the current capital of the European Union, Belgium now holds the world record for the longest period without government. As one of the few countries lacking a quintessential national identity, the Droog Lab believes Belgium could be a model for how individuals, companies and institutions could formulate their future identities. Led by Erik Kessels and in partnership with Z33, the project will explore the value and real potential of (no) identity.
The project was kicked-off with a research trip to Belgium from December 17th – 20th, where concepts were developed. Outcomes will be presented in 2012 in partnership with Z33.
Project team
Renny Ramakers, director (Droog)
Erik Kessels, leading designer (KesselsKramer)
Jan Boelen, partner (Z33)
Designers: Helmut Smits, Jessica Gysel, Lernert & Sander, Thomas Lomee
Consultants: Walter Bettens (DAMn magazine), Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès (The Khatt Foundation)
Agata Jaworska, content & project manager (Droog)
Andrew Brash & Jorge Manes, lab interns (Droog)
Past events
Material Matters: break-out session at What Design Can Do
May 10th, 2012
Imagine if materials become increasingly scarce, and therefore more expensive. What would this mean for the design industry? Will design companies offer alternative ways of creating materials, will they specialize in upcycling, concentrate on services, go digital, or do something else?
Following Droog’s successful presentation of “Material Matters: a future furniture fair” during the International Furniture Fair in Milan, Droog led a break-out session at the What Design Can Do Annual Design Conference that took place in Amsterdam on May 10th and 11th, 2012. Renny Ramakers invited participants to imagine alternative business models urged by material scarcity.
Material Matters: a future furniture fair
DOMUS Open Design Archipelago
Palazzo Clerici, Via Clerici 5, Milan, Italy
April 17 - 22, 2012
Our economic system is in turmoil. Our resources are becoming scarce. In the meantime, we stick to the same economic models, producing more products, producing more waste.
What if, in an alternative economic model, income tax is replaced with tax on raw materials? What would this mean for the design industry? Will designers offer alternative ways of creating materials, will they specialize in upcycling, concentrate on services, go digital, or do something else?
During the International Furniture Fair in Milan, Droog presented “Material Matters: a future furniture fair,” featuring 20 design companies—both real and imagined—that might come to thrive given the change in policy. The imaginary future fair aimed to inspire designers to develop alternative business models urged by material scarcity and economic upheaval, striving for a real fair next time. Material Matters took part in Domus Open Design Archipelago, a collective laboratory that previews the future of design, at the beautiful Palazzo Clerici.
Hands On! - public interview
Renny Ramakers will be one of the interviewees at the second edition of ‘Hands On!’ at Pakhuis de Zwijger. During this edition Renny Ramakers will take part in the discussion about ‘investigative design’ together with head curator Kris Kallens of the Zuiderzeemuseum and designers Christien Meindertsma and Lex Pott. Jeroen Junte, Volkskrant-journalist and writer of the book: ‘Hands on: Dutch design in de 21ste eeuw’, is going to be the moderator.
Place: Pakhuis de Zwijger
Date: Wednesday, March 21st
Time: 20.00 – 22.00
Language: Dutch
Free registration
Symposium: WIJkonomie Tarwewijk
Wednesday February 22, 2012
Location: Auditorium NAI (Museumpark 25, Rotterdam)
Supported by: DOEN Foundation
From hairdressing to car repair and radio broadcasting, the residential neighbourhood of Tarwewijk in the South of Rotterdam has a hidden network of homeworkers. WIJkonomie Tarwewijk visualizes and builds on existing social and economic networks in Tarwewijk, proposing new tools and strategies to strengthen the economic and social vitality of this area.
By Droog in collaboration with Jan Konings, Kosmopolis Rotterdam and Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI), the symposium featured design proposals and interventions by Jan Konings, TD Architects, Thomas Lommée, Crimson with Maxwan and Doepel Strijkers Architects. Designers, politicians, entrepreneurs and residents of Tarwewijkentered into discussion about questions like: how can local entrepreneurship strengthen both economic and social vitality of a neighbourhood? And how can design interventions and strategies be more valuable in the long term? After all, the effect of these kinds of interventions - although well-intentioned, often turns out to be short-lived.
Lecture: ‘How do I get the world going?’
Date: February 15, 2012
Time: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Place: Arnhem, the Netherlands
Language: Dutch
At the “Capitalizing on connection in the creative industries” conference, policy makers, stake holders, entrepeneurs and consultants discussed the added value of the creative industries and the policies of regions and cities for the sector. Renny Ramakers gave a lecture titled “how do I get the world going?” The conference was organized by the Nicis Institute, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Topteam Creatieve Industrie and is held at Burgers’ zoo in Arnhem.
Lecture: What is design today
Date: 10 January 2012
Time: 7:00pm
Place: Berlage Institute, Botersloot 23, 3011 HE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
On January 10 Renny Ramakers will give a lecture about ‘what is design today’ at the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Exhibition information
Speaker information
Exhibition: saved by droog.
Place: Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw
Dates: Oct 18, 2011 - Jan 15, 2012
Lecture: What is design today?
Date: Tues, Oct 18, 2011
Time: 6pm
The Laboratory of the Future is a comprehensive international art program, established by the Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, directed towards the future. It is launched by the project REGRESS-PROGRESS, which focuses on two questions: “Can we expect a progress, a development of the capitalist system of production in the foreseeable future?” or rather “Can we expect a regress, which might in fact prove felicitous?”
More info Laboratory of the Future
More info saved by droog.
Lectures & debate: Luxury of the North
Here, there, everywhere
by Agata Jaworska (Droog)
Arctic Imports
by Pirjo Haikola (The Why Factory)
Productivity of Nature
by Christien Meindertsma
Tim Antoniuk (University of Alberta)
Date: Thursday, December 8th, 2011
Lectures & debate: 7:00 - 9:00pm
Drinks: 6:30 - 7:00pm & 9:00 - 10:00pm
Place: Telus Centre
More info
Discussion and tasting: XXL city by Cynthia Hathaway
Date: Wednesday, November 30th
Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm
Place: Gladstone Hotel, Toronto
More info
Presentation: A.B.C.D.E.— an open discussion on design process
Date: Friday, November 18th, 2011
Place: Studio X Mumbai
On Friday, November 18th, Studio X Mumbai hosted A.B.C.D.E.— an open discussion on design process, presenting studies from Droog Lab’s 11-day workshop led by Bas Princen in the informal settlement of Dharavi, Mumbai.
Conference: the UP conference
Place: Machinegebouw-Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam
Date: November 3rd, 2011
Time: 1:00 – 6:00 pm
RSVP: up.droog.com
UP, a new economic model for upping the value of dead stock through design was launched by Droog at the UP conference on November 3rd, 2011. The first line of UP products was unveiled, using stock from collaborating companies including Makro, Van Gansewinkel, Vlisco and Mediq.
Lecture: Droog
Date: September 29th
Panel discussion: What is design today?
Date: September 30th
Occasion: 2011 Chengdu Biennale, part of the design exhibition ‘The Solutions’
Place: No.4 Jianshe Rd South Branch, East Chengdu Music park, Chengdu, China
Presentation: Fantastical Investments by Droog with Metahaven, in partnership with Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design.
Date: September 22nd - October 4th
Place: Droog, Staalstraat 7a/b, Amsterdam
More information
See review on Design.nl
Competition: Mercure Culture Prize
Date: September 2011
Renny Ramakers participated as a member of the jury for the Mercure Culture Prize. One winner will be selected for the design of a table concept for Mercure Hotels, to be realized in whole or in part in all of its hotels in the Netherlands. The competition is open to visual artists, illustrators, designers, architects, along with students of art schools and other creative programs.
Lecture: Design is Design, Art is Art, And now and then the twain will meet
Date: May 12th, 2011
Time: 3:00pm
Place: Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
Renny Ramakers presented a lecture on Art Design, as part of the exhibition OVERLAP, organized by Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, on view 9 April–15 May 2011.
Exhibition inoformation
Speaker information, in Danish
Presentation: Open house
Date: Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
10:00 Symposium at Studio-X New York
1:00 Bus trip to Levittown, NY
Open house by Droog in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro took place on Saturday, April 23rd, 2011. The event was kicked-off with a symposium at Studio-X New York introduced and moderated by Mark Wasiuta of Columbia University, featuring a talk by Renny Ramakers, followed by a bus trip to Levittown, where visitors could view and participate in several house installations in the neighborhood, designed and executed by architects, designers and artists in collaboration with the homeowners. One of the installations showcased concepts for future open houses, with proposals for new housing configurations and regulatory modifications.
Presentation: design for download
Date: April 13 - 17
Place: Via Alserio 22, Milan, 20159, Italy
During the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2011, Droog presented furniture and accessories designed for download by EventArchitectuur and Minale-Maeda, including CNC cut tables, cupboards, desks, side tables, shelves, couches and 3D printed electrical outlets, flowers and charms. Droog also presented digital design tools that allow ordinary computer users to easily make functional design decisions, automatically generating blueprints for local execution in various materials. The tools also enable communication between designer and customer, streamlining and lowering the cost of a custom design process. The presented products have been customized by Droog for its collection.
Interview by Design Indaba
More information about design for download.
Lecture: De Invasie van Kortrijk!
Date: Saturday, March 19th , 2011
18:00 doors open
21:00 lecture by Renny Ramakers
22:00 Trui Moerkerke (Knack Weekend) & Herman Konings (Trendwatcher nXt)
Place: Buda Libre XL
Renny Ramakers presented new projects by Droog at Buda libre XL, the opening event of De Invasie van Kortrijk! The event also featured work by 70 young designers, and a lecture by Trui Moerkerke and Herman Konings.
Lecture: Design Indaba
Dates: Thursday, February 24th 2011, 13:40
Place: CTICC Convention Square, 1 Lower Long Street, Cape Town, South Africa
Renny Ramakers presented a lecture at the Design Indaba 2011 Conference and Simulcast from February 23rd – 25th. Design Indaba 2011 takes place at the at the Cape Town Convention Centre and includes the Design Indaba Conference and Young Designers Simulcast from 23 to 25 February, and Design Indaba Expo from 25 to 27 February.
Discussion: Vodafone Creative Corner
Date: Saturday, January 29th
Time: 13:00
Place: Amsterdam
In 2011, Amsterdam International Fashion Week and Vodafone presented the first Vodafone Creative Corner – a space at the main location of AIFW where visitors could meet each other and discuss.
Renny Ramakers was invited to participate in a discussion at the Vodafone Creative Corner together with participants from the fashion industry on Saturday, January 29th. The public discussions were led by Professor of Industrial Development and Innovation and lecturer in Art, Culture and Economy, Dany Jacobs.
Droog goes to Las Vegas
Date: December 31, 2010
Place: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
On December 15th, 2010, design company Droog opened a retail space in partnership with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Prominently located on the Las Vegas Strip, the majestic 2500 square foot interior designed by Marcel Schmalgemeijer hosts the iconic Droog collection along with other brands selected by Droog.
“One sees a totally different type of design in Las Vegas. I believe the audience is ready for a new approach, one that establishes new borders between the design and the non-design world,” says Ramakers. “Las Vegas is about experience and so is Droog.”
Watch a television interview here.
See store details.
Interview with Renny & Jurgen Bey
Date: Sunday, October 31, 2010
Time: 14.00-15.00
Place: Centraal Museum, Utrecht
Director of the Centraal Museum, Edwin Jacobs, talked with Renny Ramakers and Jurgen Bey (Studio Makkink & Bey and director of the Sandberg Institute) about key design projects.
“Droog is an absolute must in the Dutch Design landscape. Strong ideas, clear concepts.” - Edwin Jacobs
Jury member, Tokyo Design Award
Date: July 22, 2010
Place: Tokyo
Keynote lecture
Date: Saturday, June 5, 2010
Place: Benaki Museum amphitheatre, Athens
Part of the Design, Architecture and Sustainability Conference.
Jury member, Design as reform competition
Date: June 1, 2010
Place: traffic gallery, Dubai
Lecture: Simple passion
Date: Sunday, March 21, 2010
Time: 11.00
Place: Bangkok
Part of Play: From Passion to Business Symposium, Creativities Unfold, held at Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC)
Lecture: Droog: Recent works
Date: March 4, 2010
Place: Parsons The New School For Design, New York
Lecture: Droog—what’s the common thread?
Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Time: 19.00
Place: SoHo House, New York