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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.
More info.
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.
May 16 - June 16, 2013
More info.
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)
Past events
IRRITATION #6:
The Authenticity Trap with Timo de Rijk
In the online world we live and interact anonymously. A condition of alienation has created a longing for authenticity in many of us. Everything from jeans to our television series and Coca-Cola must now be authentic, and everyone from corporate managers to even our rookie King Willem Alexander are outspoken in their belief in authenticity. But when we consider that authenticity is an artificial construction of values, where does that leave us?
Join us at Hôtel Droog as curator, writer and lecturer Timo de Rijk discusses punk, imperfection, Andre Rieu and many other subjects, as we ask ourselves - are we misguided by the idea of authenticity? Can it ever be attainable, and should we even want it?
Dinner starts at 6:00pm (soup 6 euro / salad 9,50 euro / snacks) followed by the IRRITATION session starting at 7:30pm. The bar will stay open until 10:00pm
Free entrance
RSVP info@hoteldroog.com
Who: Timo de Rijk
When: May 8
Time: DINNER 6:00pm / IRRITATION 7:30 - 9:00pm
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.
Droog + up to a beautiful future
We are back in Amsterdam. After a week in Milan, full of hectic moments, meetings and conversations, many congratulations and compliments, not to mention a lot of inspiration. There was no better place to celebrate our 20th birthday.
The photos of our installations, made by Thijs Wolzak are now ready. They give a good insight in the past, present and future of Droog. Respect for the existing has always been with us and it still is today. You could see this in the products we presented at our first show in Milan, in 1993, like the Rag chair by Tejo Remy. Two of these chairs stood in our reception this week. More recently, UP is an on-going initiative focused on redesigning dead stock to bring it back in circulation. We copied China with the project The New Original. Copying is a less obvious way of respecting the existing, while it is also a way of creating something new. The same mentality resulted in new high tech manifestations of the Rijksmuseum historical collection that we hacked. They are parts of the same story - design does not have to start from square one.
The pictures also show how a stylish presentation and cheerful interaction can go hand in hand. Next to the serene setting of the Rijksmuseum interpretations, our staff was preparing tattoos for the visitors. We brought together ideas, prototypes, ready-made products and a new collection. People were eager to buy the things we offered in our pop up store but at the same time they were engaged by the videos on show. The message we wanted to evoke is that beauty and responsibility are no opposites. We respect the past, but we’re also interested in future projections. They are no contrasts but part of the same story, they are our DNA in which the twist always reappears, whether in the many hilarious moments in the Material Matters Media or in the aquarium with a miniature Chinese restaurant. We like bringing different worlds together, and turning things upside down. Design is a serious matter, but a serious matter can be entertaining as well.
For those who were not able to make it, I hope you enjoy the photos and videos.
Domus interviews Renny
About copying China and the Rijksmuseum historical collection.
Watch the video here.
Droog + up to a beautiful future
April 9th - 14th
During the Salone del Mobile 2013
with Rijksmuseum, Philips LED and Hôtel Droog
See the images.
Low Tech Factory
Hotel Droog gallery
March 21 - April 21, 2013
What at first glance appears to be a rocking chair, turns out to be a knitting machine. And while you sit and rock on the chair, a knitted hat is created. As you do a little dance on a platform, an expandable carrying bag is made. Another spectacular machine makes popcorn—a single kernel at a time.
Low Tech Factory is a project by ECAL / University of Art and Design in Lausanne, Switzerland. In a workshop led by Chris Kabel and Thomas Kral, industrial and product design students created a series of simple but sophisticated machines that not only create an experience, but actually produce finished goods—hats, mirrors, bags, toys, lamps and popcorn.
With this project, the theme of auto-production is raised. Recently we have seen countless designers make their own machines. And while it often seems the machine becomes more important than the result, in this case, the design of the machine and its resulting product are in balance.
The exhibition presented six machines with videos. At the opening on March 21st, the designers demonstrated the machines themselves. The question — why are designers making so many machines - was discussed on March 21st with Alexis Georgacopoulos (director of ECAL), Chris Kabel, the students, Joris Laarman and Joanna van der Zanden.
The New Original
Aiming to raise discourse on the future of design, Droog Lab went to Shenzhen, China, the epicentre of copycat culture, with the intent of copying China.
The result is a collection of 26 works by Studio Droog, Richard Hutten, Ed Annink, Stanley Wong and Urbanus each taking copying as a starting point. From a classic Chinese teapot with an added robust handle by Richard Hutten, to an inverted Chinese restaurant that features a miniature table setting inside a fish tank by Studio Droog—each piece translates an essence of the original in a literal way. In partnership with Today Art Museum, Beijing, and OCT Art and Design Gallery, Shenzhen, the collection was exhibited at the Hi space zhen Jia shopping mall in Guangzhou from March 9th – April 9th, 2013.
4/4 DutchDFA
On Thursday 4 April 2013 the DutchDFA programme presented its fourth and final Year Report: 4/4. At the same time the Creative Industries Fund NL announced the new internationalisation programme for the creative sector. The event took place from 1.30 pm to 7 pm (including post-presentation drinks) at the Paard van Troje in The Hague.
Renny Ramakers participated with a contribution to ‘Four stories about the world’.
India Design Forum
Renny Ramakers presented at the India Design Forum on March 15-16, 2013 in Mumbai.
About IDF
DF is a celebration of India’s distinctive design aesthetic and the ways in which it continues its conversation with the international design world, the India Design Forum has two components. The Forum starts with a Design Week – a week long schedule of cutting edge design exhibitions, workshops and curated events in venues across Mumbai, open to public. The Design Forum- a private registration only program features two days of talks by highly acclaimed design experts from around India and the rest of the world at the NCPA – National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai.
Created and conceptualized by the Coimbatore Centre for Contemporary Arts (CoCCA), IDF 2013 is the second edition of India Design Forum.
Moving from a rich legacy through a thriving present day scene to a promising future, experts and key players will examine how design informs our world and changes our lives, every day.
Seven little wonders
December 11th – January 7th
Hôtel Droog
Seven apple trees stood in the Droog Gallery. With this exhibition, they were joined by seven topical projects from the world of art and design. Each project touched—in a modest and often poetic way—something in the news, such as increasing violence in schools, the much-discussed headscarf for Islamic culture and the issue of national identity. Some of the works on display included the animation One Past Two by Aimée de Jongh, a selection of works from Identity Land by Droog Lab with Erik Kessels, Wild Bone China by Christien Meindertsma for Droog Lab, a headscarf of braided hair by Rania Chamsine and a humidifier that doesn’t require electricity by Minghshuo Zhang.
Blighted by Kenning: apples infected with knowledge
by Charlotte Jarvis and the Netherlands Proteomics Centre
November 15th – December 10th
Hôtel Droog
British artist Charlotte Jarvis and Netherlands Proteomics Centre British artist have bio-engineered a bacteria so that it has the Universal Declaration of Human Rights encoded in its DNA. The DNA was then extracted from the bacteria and used to ‘contaminate’ apples grown at the Hague, seat of the International Courts of Justice.
Blighted by Kenning aims to examine the way in which intellectual progress and scientific knowledge are infectious. In eating the ‘infected’ apples scientists around the world are given the opportunity to affirm their belief in their field and consequently in intellectual progress.
Debating Genetics
November 20th, 2012
In connection with the exhibition, on November 20th, 2012 Hôtel Droog hosted a heated debate on the popular perceptions of genetics with questions such as: Where do people’s perceptions of genetic engineering come from and by what means does the public derive consensus? Are different areas of genetics perceived differently and why are they perceived this way? What is the role of the press, the scientists, and do artists and designers have any role at all?
The discussion was moderated by Farid Tabarki with guests Charlotte Jarvis (UK artist Blighted by Kenning), Herman van Bekkem (Greenpeace), Bert Lotz (Head of Applied Ecology, at Wageningen University), Reinout Raijmakers (Managing Director of the Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research at the Chemistry Department of Utrecht University), Prof. dr. Gert-Jan B. van Ommen (head of the Department of Human Genetics of Leiden University Medical Center) and journalist Jop de Vrieze.
Thank you to our partners
Netherlands Proteomics Centre
Netherlands Genomics Initiative
Centre for Society and the Life Sciences
The project Blighted By Kenning has been created by artist Charlotte Jarvis in collaboration with the Netherlands Proteomics Centre. The exhibition is organized in cooperation with CSG Centre for Society and the Life Sciences and is part of Shaking Science! 30 days life sciences and society in conversation.
Identity Land:
space for a million identities
by Droog Lab with Erik Kessels
in partnership with Z33, Hasselt, BE
Identity Land is an imaginary society with space for a million identities. Inspired by Belgium, a country of converging cultures, Identity Land is not bound by national borders and national symbols. Here, the coin is a mirror, the flag is transparent, and all the players in the football teams wear unique shirts.
With the globalization of ideas, people and goods, and the rising impact of transnational alliances and networks, a nation state as an isolated entity is becoming obsolete. Clinging to a dominant identity can cause alienation, stagnation and conflict. An understated identity fosters much-needed openness. Freedom from nationalism is liberating to visitors and inhabitants alike. Rather than define a narrow identity, Erik Kessels and the team turned having multiple identities into an advantage.
With Identity Land we launched www.identityland.net a platform where people from all over the world can donate square metres of private space to form a global post-national nation, download tools for local activism and join the conversation online.
Z33 – House for contemporary art
Zuivelmarkt 33, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium
November 17th – December 2nd, 2012
On Sunday, November 18th as part of the Z33 Celebrates! – 10 years Z33 festival, we held a debate moderated by Erik Donckier (chief editor politics HBVL) with Erik Kessels, Chokri Mahassine (Flemish Parliament, Organizer Pukkelpop Rimpelrock-Polsslag) and Jan Boelen (artistic director Z33). Erik Kessels gave a tour of Identity Land and Renny Ramakers held a short masterclass on the Droog Lab.
VCUQatar Gallery presents The UP Factory by Droog
October 15th - November 15th, 2012
Virginia Commonwealth University
Doha, Qatar
More info.
UP by Droog is an investigative economic model that aims to increase the value of dead stock through re-design. An alternative to recycling and disposal, UP treats leftover goods as raw material for creative re-interpretation in order to bring leftovers back into circulation. UP was launched in 2011 together with the first line of UP products, using stock from collaborating companies including Makro, van Gansewinkel, Vlisco and Mediq.
Material Matters at Dutch Design Week
This second edition of “Material Matters: a future furniture fair” presented 38 imaginary future companies urged by material scarcity.
Igluu-Lichttoren
(in the Witte Dame complex)
Lichttoren 32, 5611 BJ Eindhoven
Dutch Design Week
October 20- 28, 2012
11:00am - 6:00pm
Lecture series
Featuring 2012Architecten, N55, Studio Swine
October 26
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Debate: DEPARTURE/MAK D>LINK.05
How Can Vienna Benefit from Eindhoven’s Design Success?
RENNY RAMAKERS (NL) & FORMAFANTASMA (I/NL)
Tues, October 23, 2012
MAK LECTURE HALL
departure/MAK d>link.05
Design from the Netherlands has played a pivotal role in the design history of the 20th and 21st centuries. And since the 1990s, at the latest, “Dutch Design” has existed as a brand of sorts, generating major impulses for the international design field. One of the centers of Dutch Design has formed around the Philips Design Bureau and the Design Academy in Eindhoven, and its graduates include well-known figures such as Jurgen Bey, Hella Jongerius and the two guests of d>link.05, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin (Formafantasma).
Just what is so special about the creative environment there? What local conditions are especially helpful to the young designers in advancing their experimental way of working between reform and tradition, between high-tech and hand craftsmanship? Together with the duo Formafantasma and Renny Ramakers, who has had a strong influence on contemporary developments as a co-founder of Droog Design, d>link.05 attempted to grasp the “Eindhoven Phenomenon” and make out both similarities and differences to the cultural, economic and educational situation in Vienna.
Respondents
Tulga Beyerle, Director VIENNA DESIGN WEEK
Katharina Mischer, Designer, Partner, mischer’traxler, Vienna
Christine Schwaiger, Architect, Professor for Interior Design, New Design University (NDU), St. Pölten, Austria
Lecture: Droog
Location: VCUQatar Gallery, Doha, Qatar
Date: October 15th, 2012
In connection with the opening of The UP Factory by Droog at VCUQatar Gallery, Renny Ramakers gave a lecture, which was very well attended, at VCUQatar.
Exhibition: In Praise of Diversity: Benches from Brazil
September 18th - October 21st, 2012
Hotel Droog
Staalstraat 7B
1011 JJ Amsterdam
Opening: Hotel Droog
At the historical centre of Amsterdam, on September 16th , 2012, Droog opened a hospitality experience like no other. 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.
Debate: In Praise of Diversity
What is the language of the 21st century? Is it a landscape that is increasingly uniform or one that is increasingly diverse? Will crafts play a decisive role in creating diversity, or will digital developments with the possibilities of personal production take it over? Might digital developments enhance local cultural expression and crafts? How can diversity co-exist with the benefits of globalization and its economies of scale? In an increasingly diverse landscape, is the branding of a national design identity becoming obsolete?
On September 14th Hotel Droog hosted a panel discussion moderated by Farid Tabarki with guests Adélia Borges (Curator of the exhibition in Praise of Diversity), Arjo Klamer (Chair of Economics of Art and Culture, Erasmus University Rotterdam), Simone Farresin (Studio Formafantasma), Daan Roosegaarde (Studio Roosegaarde) and Tim Vermeulen (programme manager designworld, Premsela The Netherlands Institute for Design and Fashion).
Thank you to our partners Mondriaan Fund and Premsela The Netherlands Institute for Design and Fashion.
Pioneers of Industrial Culture - interview with Renny Ramakers
The journalist Tracy Metz interviewed Renny Ramakers on stage at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany, on Thursday July 12th, 2012. Ramakers talked about her contributions to the discussion of design’s future over the past 20 years, and about her unstoppable urge to observe, challenge and innovate.
More info.
Listen to the podcast.
Lecture: Renny Ramakers presented a lecture on Design for Download at the Barcelona Design Festival 2012
Open Design / Shared Creativity
July 2 - 3
Design for Download will be the first platform for downloadable design, which will feature curated and open content, easy-to-use parametric design tools and a network of local low- and high-tech manufacturers. The platform will not only include products, but also architecture, home accessories, fashion, food, wearables, inventions and more. Taking design to the digital realm opens many possibilities. Not only does it have consequence on transport and storage efficiencies, it also calls for new design approaches, innovative digital design tools and online shopping experiences, and innovative business models for all actors along the distribution chain.
Renny Ramakers presented a lecture at the Pavilion, in the heart of Helsinki, the world design capital.
Lecture: UP, a new economic model for upping the value of dead stock through re-design
Wednesday 23.5.2012
15.30 -16.30
Location:
Ullanlinnankatu 2ˆ4, between the Design museum and the Architectural museum, Helsinki
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