From October 18 to 23, the students of the 3rd year of Degree in design Product made their academic stay in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, where they participated in various activities that brought them closer to the world of contemporary design and interdisciplinary creativity.
The student Bibiana Morales tells us about his experience:
"On the first day, we arrived and participated in a 'workshop' at Plug-in-City with Raphaël Coutin and Ivo Hulskamp. The goal was to work in teams of ten people to develop a 'storytelling' that would be represented through a video. This video was to include our creations using LED lights, wood and tape.
The next day, we went to the Dutch Design Week (DDW) at Klokgebouw, where the exhibitions were organized in three halls. The first, Thriving Planet & Living Environment, featured projects focused on ecology, sustainability, public systems and livability. The second conference room, Class of '24, showcased work from 16 academies from design, both Dutch and international. Finally, Service & Innovative / Speculative & Social addressed the future, society and research.
We then visited Ketelhuisplein, an outdoor space with a relaxed atmosphere, full of projects, food options and performances. At Microlab Hall, we saw several projects and the nominees for the design Dutch Awards. We also visited Piet Hein Eek's workshop, where we could see an art gallery, a store, an office, a hotel, and other spaces showcasing his work and that of other designers present. In addition, the Raw Color Studio had been transformed into a exhibition of the partnership with Ikea, presenting products and processes that connect colors, materials and shapes.
On Sunday we visited the Van Abbemuseumone of the most important contemporary art museums in Europe, with more than 3,600 works by artists such as Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso. The museum focuses on the role of art in society, incorporating sensory elements in its exhibits.
At Kazerne - Home of Design, we explore the exhibition HUMAN=NONHUMAN, which questions the relationship and boundaries between human and non-human in a digital world and invites us to reflect on our connection to nature. We also visited Sectie-C, a creative center in Eindhoven, with more than 270 designers, creators and creative companies exhibiting their work.
The next day, we attended the Microstad/Graduation Show, where we saw more than 200 projects from Degree and postgraduate program from the Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE), which is internationally recognized. At Design Perronwe visited the Creative Chef Studio's solo exhibition , Mixing Typologies, where artist and designer Jasper Udink ten Cate fuses art, food, science and music to create meaningful experiences. We also explored Dutch Invertuals/Specimena exhibition celebrating the studio's 15th anniversary, where 15 designers redesigned chairs as canvases that reflect their creativity and unique processes. Finally, at the Philips Museumwe explore the evolution of business Philips and its influence on technological innovation.
To close the trip, the whole group gathered to talk about what we had seen, the experiences that impacted us and our impressions of the university and the trip. This visit to Dutch Design Week not only enriched us as designers, but also as people. It allowed us to see the importance of multidisciplinarity at design, how disciplines such as art, science, music and gastronomy intertwine to create meaningful experiences. It was also an opportunity to observe what is currently being worked on at design product and to reflect on the impact of our creations on society and the environment. DDW was a particularly valuable experience; it is not common to see an entire city become a showcase space for the design we study.
What was most special was not only the quality of the exhibits, but the fact that we were able to interact with the creators and designers, who shared a diversity of approaches. Asking questions about their processes not only inspired us, but also opened our minds about what we could go on to create. This experience was truly enriching and memorable."
Text written by: Bibiana Morales, student of Degree at design de Producto.
