Future Footprints by Material Sense in Dutch Design Week
Material Sense aims to astound and amaze, even shock at this year’s DDW. Their designers want us to rediscover our relationship to objects: we have real affection for some of the products we use. This enhances value immeasurably. Material Sense finds new uses for old materials, product interaction over time, great examples of re-use, and practical circularity. Footprints from the past become an important part of the way forward.
‘Footprints’ made by and on products in various ways become visible. There is work by master students from the Industrial Design faculty at University of Technology Eindhoven working with their colleagues at Radboud University Nijmegen. They looked at how obsolete products can inspire new products and new uses.
One group came up with rings made of various materials that share their stories through deconstruction. Literally being ripped apart and put together again. Entitled ‘Storytelling and Biographies of Objects’.
A different kind of ring stars in the ‘Unpreventable Aging’ project. Young designers encased something very temporary – pieces of core fruit – in something very durable; acrylic. The project ‘Ouderdomsglans’ (or Aging Gloss) focussed on the life of shavers and the imprints made on them by their use over the years. Wax shavers illustrate the signs of use, and boys’ first steps into manhood.
Who says raw materials should come from a long way off? Not the designers Lizanne Dirkx and Pietro Galgani from Upstyle Industries. They documented their research and design journey, from finding the right raw materials to developing flat pack furniture, made locally with old materials from second hand shops.
Material Sense has also decided to shine a light on bright Young Talent Hannah Kindler, recent graduate of the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Kindler is interested in the value of products, taking time to talk to exhibition visitors about value and all its aspects. Focussing on its changeability, and thus creating new value. Come and talk to Hannah in the project ‘R&D Centre for Value’!
And last but not least: Material Sense has invited the pop up kitchen ‘Hap & Hi’k’ to be a part of the exhibition this year. All tasty locally designed and sourced food! Delicious home-made soup of the day, grilled sandwiches, great coffee and steaming mint tea. All at their welcoming table. Open from 12-18 p.m. during the Dutch Design Week.
Location and time:
Location: KRUISRUIMTE, Generaal Bothastraat 7 e, Eindhoven (Area East), The Netherlands
Opening hours: Saturday 17 till Sunday 25 October, 12:00 till 18:00 hour, free entrance, closed on Monday 19th October