Reporting by Charles Mathis
In today’s overflowing world of design, with so many individuals clamoring to be discovered, the most successful method for emerging artists and craftspeople may be to join forces with similarly minded partners. Independent yet connected. Working alone but showing in groups, utilizing the age-old strategy of strength in numbers.
During my first day exploring Dutch Design Week 2013, I chose to focus on small collectives, groups of designers and collaborators who share specific attributes. Firstly, they have all graduated within five years, are currently working in the Netherlands, and they are doing well, so to speak, choosing to remain independent instead of working for large companies or more corporate-minded design studios. The majority of their work is self-funded, self-produced and self-promoted. They’re not opposed to working with companies (many of them already are in various capacities—but perhaps they remain independent because they are driven by a desire for freedom of expression, or doing things one’s own way.
Here are highlights frome three excellent exhibits from international collectives based in the Netherlands. Workmates, 010-020 and Objects to Play are all on view at this year’s Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, October 19-27.
Comprised of Atelier Rick Tegelaar, Studio Casper Tolhuisen and Joris de Groot, Workmates featured recent works developed with self-made machines and distinctive processes. The three designers met during their overlapping studies at the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem and formed an open collective based on their shared interest in a hands-on approach to materials and production.
Rick Tagelaar showed a series of new lights expanding on his experiments with molded wire mesh, as well as a table and bench composed of laminated blocks of waste plywood. Rick collaborated with a woodworking factory, and developed a custom clamping table for laminating herringbone-like sheets en-masse.
Casper Tolhuisen showed his alternative cooking tools, including a distillery, smoking and barbecue pots, made in ceramic, stainless steel and glass. Due to the prohibition of selling tools for self-producing liquor, the lid cleverly clamps to a standard cooking pot which the user must supply themselves.
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