DMY Berlin 2010: Ake Rudolf

For Berlins premier design show DMY Berlin is mighty shy: but then it is only 5.

And certainly no better explanation occurs to us as to why the entrances should be so well hidden.

But with the help of a man with a knitting machine under his arm we eventually found our way to Hanger 5 – and our initial grumpiness at the signage shortcomings soon passed.

We’ve been to many a design show in our time; but never in a venue that works quite as well as Tempelhof.

Despite having been an active airport until 2008, Tempelhof has remained largely unchanged since the 1930s.

Several years we ago we had the honour of flying from Tempelhof, and it was a genuinely wonderful experience. Consequently we were sad when it closed; however if its closure means that events such as DMY Berlin can utilise it then so much the better.
Ahead of the opening we spoke with DMY Berlin Programme Director Ake Rudolf about DMY Berlin 2010 and the move to Tempelhof

(smow)blog: What can we look forward to at DMY Berlin 2010

Ake Rudolf: This year we have a focus on Switzerland, in that we offer an overview of the whole “Design System” Switzerland from support made available for young designers right up to the presentation of series products. A further focus is new media and technology in that we show both the developments in design towards digitisation and virtualization as well as the use of new technologies in engineering and design.  With the “Maker Lab” we have for the first time an area dedicated to creating and where the public and designers can work together and produce items using both generally available technology as well as more advanced machines such as laser cutters and 3D printers. And altogether we have 11,000 square metres of new ides, new solutions and design from experimental up to commercial.

(smow)blog: In your opinion is design in Berlin currently in a healthy condition?

Ake Rudolf: Yes. I think it is still a relatively small design scene and in an international context it is, with only a few exceptions, still relatively unknown, which also makes it all the more interesting.  In general it is a design scene that is based around making,  about producing yourself, about finding your own solutions to problems.  And it is a vital scene that has grown unbelievably in the past years, and that with both young designers at the very start of their careers as well as world stars such as Hella Jongerius. I think in terms of product design we are currently experiencing a development similar to that the Berlin art scene experienced in the mid-90s.

(smow)blog: Will future DMY Berlin festivals be held at Tempelhof, or is this a stopgap solution for 2010 ?

Ake Rudolf: While to a certain extent it is a stopgap solution, we had planned to move to Tempelhof in a couple of years and so it is also an earlier than intended, planned location change. But now that we are here we want to make the most of the opportunity to generally develop quicker than planned and hope that in the coming years we can acquire more hangers. That is our aim.

DMY Berlin runs until Sunday June 13th at Tempelhof Airport, Berlin. Full details can be found at http://dmy-berlin.com/