Dutch designers at London Design Festival 2010

Lifestyle / Events / Exhibitions / Product design

From east to west, north to south, Dutch designers exhibit in London again for this year’s London Design Festival which takes place from 18 to 26 September 2010. Here’s our preview of who to catch and where.

By Katie Dominy /asdf 09-09-2010

Design.nl looks at the Dutch designers involved in the London Design Festival (LDF) taking place from 18 to 26 September 2010 in a whole host of venues across the city.

Covent Garden’s Aram Gallery presents a retrospective of the work of Ineke Hans; an exhibition entitled Mind-Sets that has just ended its run at the MMKA (Museum of Modern Art) in Arnhem. The exhibition takes you through Hans’ work, for companies such as Ahrend, Arco and Cappellini, via personal items and also historical pieces from the Netherlands, such as rural furniture or a chair by Rietveld.

A new venue for designers to exhibit their work this edition of LDF is the Tramshed Event in East London, which will include the work of Dick van Hoff, in particular, two new pieces created in collaboration with Portuguese design house De la Espada. Forming part of a new collection entitled Human Made that focuses on natural materials and craftsmanship, Van Hoff has designed a lounge chair and cabinet developed from the basic wood ‘beam.’ Chunky beams of solid European chestnut are used for simple functional designs; the lounge chair given the extra comfort of a thin leather seat.

Last year saw the first exhibition of the work of Dick van Hoff in London with Gallery Libby Sellers and this LDF, the gallery is promoting another Dutch designer Simon Heijdens at the nearby Andaz Hotel close to Liverpool Street. The light installation Branches had its debut at Design Miami/Basel this June and is a digital work that interacts with its environment – romantic monochrome silhouettes of branches and leaves move across a screen according to the movement in the space before it.

Dutch/Anglo duo Studio Glithero appears in two venues this LDF. The studio is creating an installation of its Blueware project at the Sigmar store on London’s Kings Road. The installation will show the making of the collection of blue and white porcelain tiles and vases that comprise the Blueware collection. In addition, Studio Glithero will be in East London at Gallery Fumi as part of In Every Dream Home, created in conjunction with Fendi. Here the studio will create a unique furniture piece by exploring the technique of decorative cornice making, in which zinc profiles run repeatedly through wet plaster to create strongly outlined forms.

The Dutch Cultural Pop-Up Space In London will be presenting Asylum, an installation by the fashion designer Rui Leonardes that showcases his conceptual approach to fashion, with pieces from his latest collection as well as cinematic influences from movies such as Tarkovsky’s poetic sci-fi Stalker from 1979 and Wim Wenders’ romantic fantasy film Wings of Desire from 1987.

The Dutch Embassy will be presenting the Exchange, a discussion evening at the V&A Museum on globalization in design, focusing on the experiences of both Dutch and UK designers. Speakers include Suzanne Oxenaar, Artistic Director of the Lloyd Hotel, Amsterdam, plus a representative from AMFI Fashion Institute, Amsterdam.

Design brand Moooi will also use the timing of LDF to launch its new permanent showroom in London at the canal side White Building in Portobello Dock – a Grade II listed stucco house dating back to the late 1900s. Alongside Moooi will be the Dutch resin flooring specialist Senso, who will mark this launch with the international debut of a new range of flooring designed by Marcel Wanders that has a strong 3-D appearance. The same area will see The Dock, a pop-up Tom Dixon Shop selling the full Tom Dixon range of lighting and furniture as well as a handpicked international mix of concession brands including pieces from Piet Hein Eek.

Mind-Sets, Aram Gallery, September 18-30 October 2010
The Tramshed Event with Dick Van Hoff, 22-26 September 2010
Branches, Gallery Libby Sellers, 21-26 September 2010
Blueware, Sigmar, 18-26 September 2010
Studio Glithero, Fumi, 8-26 September 2010
Rui Leonardes , Dutch Cultural Pop-Up Space, 21 September-12 October
Moooi showroom, 16-26 September 2010
The Dock, 20-26 September 2010

Main mage: Branches (2010) Simon Heijdens, courtesy Gallery Libby Sellers
Image 1: Lighting projections by Creatmosphere and Shroomstudio for Moooi's opening ceremony.
Image 2: Impressions floor by Marcel Wanders for Senso
Image 3: Chair from Beams project, Designer: Vanhoffontwerpen
Image 4: The Exchange
Image 5: Rui Leonardes
Image 6: Ineke Hans