During his childhood in Afghanistan, Massoud Hassani would make toys to be blown by the wind. Sometimes…
During his childhood in Afghanistan, Massoud Hassani would make toys to be blown by the wind. Sometimes they would end up in a minefield, where he could not retrieve them. Now Massoud’s wind-powered creations are re-designed specifically for clearing minefields.
www.massoudhassani.blogspot.com
Overview video of the main exhibition hall at the DMY Festival 2011 held earlier this year. Includes works by ESAD de Strasbourg, Lund university, Manufactory, Platform 10 of the RCA, Yiannis Ghikas, Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau, DMY Makerlab, Fabien Dumas, Ett la Benn, E27.
Overview video of the main exhibition hall at the DMY Festival 2011 held earlier this year. Includes works by ESAD de Strasbourg, Lund university, Manufactory, Platform 10 of the RCA, Yiannis Ghikas, Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau, DMY Makerlab, Fabien Dumas, Ett la Benn, E27.
The ‘Warm and cold cloths’ series is comprised of blankets and plaids (warm) as well as tablecloths and tea towels (cold).
The ‘Warm and cold cloths’ series is comprised of blankets and plaids (warm) as well as tablecloths and tea towels (cold). Merino wool was used for the warm cloths; linen for the cold. The initial tests involved experimenting with weave bindings and the combination of graphic patterns. These were judged to be too flat, so more depth was introduced in the woollen fabric. This is possible because in this thicker material, the warp thread (which is white) is ‘concealed’ within a double weave. For a linen cloth this is impossible, because it must be a single weave, given its use as a tea towel or tablecloth.
In response to the initial tests, the designer redrew the woven patterns in geometrical diagrams. These were converted into computer drawings that were transposed into fabric once again. The reason for doing this was that the pattern was still overly regimented and too monotonous.
In her ‘Species’ knitted collection, Nanna van Blaaderen allowed herself to be guided by the idea of offering an alternative for animal skins as a fashion and interior product.
In her ‘Species’ knitted collection, Nanna van Blaaderen allowed herself to be guided by the idea of offering an alternative for animal skins as a fashion and interior product. Fascinated by the beauty and diversity of the animal kingdom, she designed a series of knitted fabrics that represent the coats and markings of various animal species in their three-dimensional tactility and textures. She drew inspiration from images of animals and animal skins. She elaborated her ideas for the ‘Jaguar’, ‘Zebra’, ‘Cat’, ‘Zebra back’, Giraffe’ and ‘Scale’ knits at the machine.
In her quest to match the texture and markings of animal skins in knits produced on the Stoll Knit & Wear machine, Nanna van Blaaderen experimented not only with yarns and colours but with the gauge of the knitting stitch as well. In the test for ‘Giraffe’ she combined alpaca, cashmere and cotton, which did not yield the desired flexibility. The ‘Cat’, knitted with big stitches in brown, proved to be far too coarse, while the ‘Jaguar’ in white merino wool and cotton failed to yield the appropriate traction. Lastly, ‘Zebra’ was knitted in a combination of acrylic and cotton, which did not look rich enough and was lacking in three-dimensionality. For the definitive fabrics she primarily used merino wool, which consists of thin hairs and is therefore very soft.
Maarten Kolk and Guus Kusters used unbleached and uncoated yarn to produce tufted samples
Maarten Kolk and Guus Kusters used unbleached and uncoated yarn to produce tufted samples, which were executed in various materials: wool, silk, seaweed, raffia, viscose, wool, linen and silk. After tufting, dark blue residue ink from the digital printer was applied to the rear of the samples by hand.
When moistened, this ink soaks into the yarns. The goal was to see which yarns would optimally absorb the ink and transport it to the fabric’s upper side and to determine what would produce the most beautiful outcome. Next came a tufted sample made with linen, after a photographic image had been printed on the rear of the polypropylene backing. The last test, in which the rear was treated with pigment, which makes fixation unnecessary, was highly successful. It requires less than a third of the dyestuffs that are normally used in coloured yarns.
This video is part of the ‘Making of…’ series for the textile museum Tilburg, the exhibition can be still be seen until September. www.textielmuseum.nl
Borre Akkersdijk, who graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven last year, worked in the TextielLab to produce knitted textiles that are padded with a filler thread. The result is a range of ‘stuffed’ garments, including trousers, a parka, a cape and a jacket. When the pattern components emerge from the machine they are ready-made.
Borre Akkersdijk, who graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven last year, worked in the TextielLab to produce knitted textiles that are padded with a filler thread. The result is a range of ‘stuffed’ garments, including trousers, a parka, a cape and a jacket. When the pattern components emerge from the machine they are ready-made.
The fabric’s patterns are derived from an old kilim, which had belonged to a favourite aunt who recently died. This rug was woven by hand, so it exhibits crooked lines, irregularities and the marks of age, features that Borre imitated in the digital conversion. It is like his personal signature in an otherwise industrial product.
Borre Akkersdijk experimented with the production of thickly padded knits on the large circular knitting machine in the TextielLab. The machine was specially fitted with so-called padding mangle for this project, making it possible to produce knits that are padded out with filler threads. The investigation focused on the knitting of lengths of cloth in which the pattern components are filled out. The edges of each section remain attached, so the padding remains inside when the pattern components are cut from the base. Finishing is no longer necessary.
The first test, with just a sleeve, pointed in the right direction immediately. He then carried out colour tests on the actual pattern, a hand-drawn kilim motif. How do the colours mix together and to what extent must they vary and follow the pattern? He eventually decided to knit the garments in colour mixes, because this renders the fabric more lively and exciting.
More info on the artist: www.byborre.com
The exhibition can be seen until September 2011. www.textielmuseum.nl
Bertjan Pot presents his new tablecloths today for the textile museum in Tilburg.
Bertjan Pot presents his new tablecloths today for the textile museum in Tilburg. Designguide.tv was commissioned to make this ‘making of’ movie of his project ‘Font of the loom’ which takes us through his process of designing a typeface that could be weaved with pixel precise fabric bonds.
Bertjan chose to use a series of texts downloaded from wikipedia and used those to weave the tablecloths with. At first view the tablecloths look a little mundane but when you look closer you’ll see biographies of Michael Jackson or a detailed description of what a Haiku is. The most important thing is, according to Bertjan, not the content of the texts but the actual letter and with this project he tries to bring across the beauty of typography with technical precision.
Other designers taking part in the exhibition are Borre Akkersdijk, Maarten Baas, Nanna van Blaaderen, Barbara Broekman, Mae Engelgeer,Thomas Eurlings, Lizan Freijsen, Conny Groenewegen, Maria Hees, Bart Hess, Digna Kosse, Bertjan Pot, Mara Skujeniece, Studio Maarten Kolk & Guus Kusters, Studio Makkink & Bey, JanTaminiau.
Opening today, June 11th at the textile museum Tilburg.
www.textielmuseum.nl
Erik Spiekermann on 3d printers:
“you can take a turd from the street and reproduce it at home, great.”
At the DMY/Premsela symposium copy/culture, Erik Spiekermann was asked to give his views on the topic of copying.
find more on this character on www.edenspiekermann.com
and the symposium can be found on dmy-berlin.com
Recently designguide.tv was invited to cover the dmy berlin festival. We’d like to share the opening day impressions with you, and much more to follow the next few days.
Recently designguide.tv was invited to cover the dmy berlin festival. We’d like to share the opening day impressions with you, and much more to follow the next few days.
A rare look into the process of setting up an exhibition, something thats usually not done until a few hours before opening up to the public.
A rare look into the process of setting up an exhibition, something thats usually not done until a few hours before opening up to the public. The most spoken about exhibits of the Dutch Design Week were the design academy, Dutch invertuals and Atelierdorp. The question is, does subsidizing from the city council’s ‘culture’ budget promote mediocre work (the ones not mentioned in the list)?
text from the collective:
Atelierdorp is an unconventional and almost incidental collective of designers who feel united by design. For the second year in a row, the young designers present a group exhibition of their personal work. As they have moved their studios to a new location in the centre of Eindhoven, they invite you to have a closer look at their work and the place where it has been created. Atelierdorp opens its doors.
In their new headquarters, Atelierdorp shows how different styles can co-exist without conflict, how multiple identities grow and how a community proves its importance in a world ruled by the individual.
Formafantasma was recently commissioned by Plart, to create their own interpretation of the polymeric materials. As many of our daily objects come from oil/plastic they will remain relevant as we move forward to alternatives. Andrea and Simone take a closer look into the history of polymers which goes back centuries in the forms of resins and other methods of preserving.
Formafantasma was recently commissioned by Plart, to create their own interpretation of the polymeric materials. As many of our daily objects come from oil/plastic they will remain relevant as we move forward to alternatives. Andrea and Simone take a closer look into the history of polymers which goes back centuries in the forms of resins and other methods of preserving.
Botanica is the resulting project, the objects displayed in the collection are designed as if the oil- based era, in which we are living, never took place. The designers researched and hunted for information, digging into the 18th and 19th centuries, when scientists began experimenting draining plants and animals in search for plasticity.
With botanica, studio formafantasma offers a new perspective on plasticity, reinterpreting centuries old technology lost in mass production of oil derivatives.
more information on www.formafantasma.com
Charles Bukowski: ‘Poetry is what happens when nothing else can.’ Design as a creative discipline always floats between…
Charles Bukowski: ‘Poetry is what happens when nothing else can.’
Design as a creative discipline always floats between pure culture and an applied profession that fulfills industrial needs.
Our exhibition project emphasizes the experimental ‘making’-oriented cultural path of design. As every year, Milan is the best place to showcase these new concepts and researches. Our exhibition POETRY HAPPENS displays authentic, archetypal projects, prototypes and installations with a narrative design quality. Poetry as a headline gives every invited designer, architect and artist the freedom of his / her personal approach and interpretation of his / her work related to poetry.
Poetry transferred into the world of design can be:
The poetry of making by emphasizing the personality of the maker or the unique and individual strategy of the creator behind an object.
The poetry of collages combines readymades or parts, principles and mechanics of existing ‘everyday’-products into hybrid objects with a new life-cycle that, unlike standard industrial production, also shows signs of usage. The poetry of prototyping: process models, mock-ups and regular prototypes generate the story and evolution of creating – a narrative quality with often a bigger impact than the final product.
The poetry of materials and technology experiments is the engine of the continuous evolution of design. The history of design would be blank and just a formal discipline without the quantum leaps in materials and technologies.
The poetry of spaces and installations expands the pure object’s existence into space and environments which finally every object has to deal with.
The poetry of sustainability begins when design objects tend to achieve an archetypal long lasting quality with a maximal visual continuity: classic pieces and long runners in the market won’t absorb new resources.
text via www.poetry-happens.com
Creative director of Bocci, Omer Arbel, designed this bowl called Series 19. It’s produced by using an…
Creative director of Bocci, Omer Arbel, designed this bowl called Series 19. It’s produced by using an old technique called sand casting using recycled copper. Because it’s a quite rough method of casting metal, it creates an almost volcanic stone look to the outer edges whilst the center is carefully polished to a mirror like shine. The project launched in Milan at Rossana Orlandi.
Bocci commissioned this movie to show the making of series 19.
The other hemisphere was a great looking exhibition curated by Sarah K. The works were inspired by…
The other hemisphere was a great looking exhibition curated by Sarah K. The works were inspired by the other hemisphere theme, and to really understand the works you needed to touch, look and think, putting your mindset in another place as it were. But of course the ‘make it look pretty’ appeal is the first thing to draw you in.
We do a brief talk with Flynn Talbot who created a simple looking-glass ball of light, half in darkness. He’s actually a furniture designer turned lighting designer and is now working from Berlin. Watch the video to see what X+Y is all about.
And of course, more info on theotherhemisphere.com
The Achille is watching us exhibition, a presentation of personal objects from various international designers.
Achille is watching us is a self-initiated project brought to you by Matylda Krzykowski from the personal design blog Mat&Me and Marco Gabriele Lorusso from creative collective Made in Design Studio. The Achille is watching us exhibition, a presentation of personal objects from various international designers.
Please enjoy the video interview with the two initiators of the exhibition.
Photos by Matylda Krzykowski of matandme.net
Can craftmanship go together with design? Thats a question many have asked and this exhibition explores it…
Can craftmanship go together with design? Thats a question many have asked and this exhibition explores it by combining six international designers with Italian artisans. This limited edition of pieces took a closer look at craft traditions, materials and care of high-quality finishings combined with the talents of the designers.
Featuring work by Giorgio Biscaro, Oscar Diaz, Takuya Matsuda, Pedrita, Zaven, Matteo Zorzenoni with the artisans: Carbu, La veneta, Sartori Marmi, Vanzo Ferro Battuto, Pietro Viero.
more info on www.editionofsix.com
Dave Keune presented his Standard Primitives collection at Ventura Lambrate in Milan. The main idea behind the…
Dave Keune presented his Standard Primitives collection at Ventura Lambrate in Milan. The main idea behind the collection is that parts such as the lamp head are interchangable with other pieces of the collection. Standard Primitives brings a more personal approach to furniture while keeping its shapes strong and well, primitive.
Dave also made a wonderful newspaper to explain his new collection but unfortunately Ryan air told me it was just too heavy to bring on the plane (at least they saved a few liters on fuel).
This renaissance inspired, pendulum drawing machine was on display at Mindcraft 11, the Danish crafts exhibit at…
This renaissance inspired, pendulum drawing machine was on display at Mindcraft 11, the Danish crafts exhibit at ventura lambrate. The machine has a installation type appeal that will draw (in the right artistic hands) the most amazing rhythmic pen drawings.
Drawingmachine is a construction involving two pendulums, each suspended from a tower construction and connected through “drawing arms” and moveable joints. A ballpoint pen resting on a drawing surface covered with paper is mounted at the point where the pendulums come together. The pendulums are set in motion by hand, and their movements are represented on the paper. The movements of the pendulums affect the entire room, and the experience engages the beholder’s body. While the rhythmic repetitions cause the beholder to pause, the drawing emerges on the paper.
The technique of using weights and pendulums was invented in the Renaissance and applied in the so- called Harmonograph. Eske Rex is interested in the machine as a sculpture in space, a constantly changing mobile. In addition, the universe in the drawings is interesting by virtue of their spatial, textural, temporal qualities – a never-ending experiment where it is impossible to produce two identical drawings.
More information on the artist can be found on: www.eskerex.com
Cars served as bar tables while guests enjoyed the Duvel beer and the emotional objects on display…
Cars served as bar tables while guests enjoyed the Duvel beer and the emotional objects on display at the Achilles is watching us exhibition. A video of the story behind the exhibition will follow soon. But we thought it would be nice to share the party pics today.
more info on the exhibit: http://www.aiwu.eu
Established and Sons launch their new collection at a new space here in Milan.
Established and Sons launch their new collection at a new space here in Milan.
