I love Eindhoven's annual Dutch Design Week. I even persuaded my wife to join me there for a mini-break – along with Point 6 partner Sally and her husband. OOO on and off we went.
DDW22 was as relevant as ever. 1,000 designers. 100 venues. 1 week. Or in our case, three days to try to take it all in. This post features my own personal highlights.
This edition's theme was 'Get Set…We're on a mission!', conjuring all sorts of images of space exploration and daring endeavour. The DDW website provided a bit more context: 'All set! DDW22 was all about getting ready for everything that is coming at us as a society and forging smart coalitions to deal with it.'. OK, mission accepted.
The first thing I learnt: a Nobel prize was awarded in 1903 to Swedish Scientist Svante Arrhenius, who first suggested that CO2 emissions may contribute to global warming… in 1896. Every day is a school day. So, scientists worrying about our planet's future is by no means a modern thing. Nor, I suspect, is climate change denial.
Scientists also say that the optimistic target of a 1.5% cap on global warming will be exceeded — and that many pledges of carbon reduction made at COP26 haven't been actioned. Let's see what COP27 brings.
So far so gloomy… yet climate action can be and IS being taken. In 2022 the EU matched words with actions by triggering the #greendeal, unlocking billions of Euros for sustainable investment throughout EU member states. The road ahead is long and winding, bumps are to be expected, but there are good people out there doing good things.
DDW22 showcased a wealth of inspiring design and future thinking around materials, reuse, sustainability and the circular economy. But first, inspired by the Delorian parked outside, let's go back to the future.
In space no one can hear you clean
If you've visited Eindhoven before, you'd do well not to come across The Evoluon — an exhibition centre that looks like a just-landed spaceship. Built by Philips in 1966, it was originally intended to showcase the wonders of science and technology for the local population. For DDW22 it played host to a Future Retro extravaganza. How did the future look in the past? This playful and ambitious expo went all the way back to the 19th century to find out.
Wild schemes, utopias, technology, transport, homes, popular culture, gaming — Future Retro looked at them all. And while some future predictions were uncannily accurate, some ideas clearly showed their age, often reflecting the social and paternalistic attitudes of the times. Fortunately for the hapless 1960s advertising model selling 'Tomorrow's Lestoil', 'man' didn't colonise the moon.
Humade
'From salted sea sludge to sustainable ceramics'. 7 million tonnes of estuary silt are dredged each year in the Netherlands. And whilst most of it dumped out to sea, some of it makes its way to the Royal Tichelaar factory, where it's turned into ceramic tiles. Working alongside design house Humade, the 450-year old company uses reclaimed 'sea silt as renewable clay body'.
Smogware
'Smogware is a publicly engaging project designed to provoke debate and behaviour change towards improved air quality.' The project uses particulate emissions collected from cities including Rotterdam to colour ceramic glazes. Iris de Kievith and Annemarie Piscaer's thought-provoking and highly original collaboration has also created some surprisingly beautiful tableware.
Plastic scanner
How can you tell which type of plastic is which? I confess, I often have no idea. Sometimes it's tricky to find the relevant recycling symbol. Often, it's not there at all. This ingenious device is set to change all that.
Isabelle van Oost
Plastic lights made from other upcycled plastic items become charming retro one-offs. "I sometimes spend a whole day looking for exactly the right piece", admitted light designer, Isabelle, before telling me that a part of the light I liked was once in a Tarantino movie.
Signify Coastal Breeze
At the other end of the maker scale, Signify's 3D printed luminaires, printed on request, are made from 100% recycled plastic fishing nets and created in partnership with the fishing industry in Cornwall, UK. And the raw colour is surprisingly beautiful. As they say, "Cleaning the ocean. One lamp at a time."
Ekodoki
Ekodoki 'Rebelted bags' is a collaboration between Dutch designer Marion Verbrücken and French designer Bertrand Rigot. Coincidentally, I discovered that Marion had been involved in pioneering 3D printing work while working in her previous role at Philips Lighting, now Signify, before co-founding a lifestyle brand that focuses on sustainable sourcing and ethical manufacture. I like their ethos, their energy and their bags!
Orange Or Red
Marieke van Heck combines rattan with recycled PET yarn to create fabrics for room dividers, side tables and hanging lights — all using a 'modular, circular' approach. Her colourful pieces somehow feel both wonderfully traditional, yet very contemporary.
Everbrush
'Designed to be taken apart — the Everbrush is an electric toothbrush concept designed as a vision for transitioning electric toothbrushes to the circular economy.' This is how things used to be made before 'Take, make, dispose' became the mantra. So why, with the supply of raw materials so near its end, aren't all electric toothbrushes like this? Simply brilliant.
Unpluq Tag
OK, time to stop looking at your app! But can you? Unpluq Tag makes it hard, but not impossible for you to get back online, by adding another physical action into the mix — a kind of self-imposed 'tag of shame'. Repeat after me… I WILL stop scrolling. I WILL stop scrolling... until next time.
That's it for another year, Dutch Design Week. We look forward to seeing you again in 2023.
