As already mentioned one of the projects that most appealed to us at the Universität der Künste Berlin Rundgang 2011 was Scolyt from Marco Merkel. The modern world being what its is - Marco's iPad presentation is available on vimeo. Because it explains everything much better than we ever could, we post it here. And recommend it heartily. (From about 1 min 30 onwards you can see the technique(s) employed by Marco)
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A quick tram and S-Bahn ride from Rundgang at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee brought us to Rundgang at Universität der Künste Berlin. Similar concept. Different worlds. Whereas Weißensee exudes an almost parochial innocence, the UdK feels like The New York School of the Performing Arts in the early 1980s. At any minute a nimble framed, leotard and leg-warmer attired youth could leap down the stairs and complain about Mr. Shorofsky not understanding the modern world before pirouetting
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Returning to Berlin from Einblick at the Fachhochschule Potsdam the next stage on our 2011 summer tour was Rundgang 2011 at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee. The 2011 Product Design Graduate Show was staged in a former supermarket under the title "Kaufhalle wird Kunsthalle" - a name which translates as "A Supermarket becomes an art gallery" and which for us was a very fitting title because although there were a couple of projects that we enjoyed looking at, there was nothing that we would
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London based design studio Barber Osgerby stands as a testament to the fact that high quality work will always win through, with or without the media status "star designer" While its fair to say that many of their contemporaries have been placed on international glossy magazine pedestals, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have remained largely in the shadows, quietly producing consistently high quality work for both international producers and private customers. That is however slowly changing
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Until July 31st we are giving readers the chance to win a limited edition Dark Lime Panton Chair. In effect we are swapping a Dark Lime Panton Chair for a summer cocktail/mixed drink recipe. The best wins! In order to give you some ideas and inspiration we have asked several Vitra VIPs for their favourite recipe. Today Vitra Chief Design Officer Eckart Maise shares his Caipirinha recipe He obvioulsy can't win - but he can share a recipe!!! As the man who commissioned works such as Tip Ton
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Following on from Summaery at the Bauhaus University Weimar our summer tour 2011 took us on to Einblick at the Fachhochschule Potsdam. Or FHP:-) to give it its formal title. One of Germany's newest design schools - the first communication design course at the FHP:-) began in 1992, product design joining in 1993 - the college has quickly built up a strong reputation for the quality of its teaching and research. But not for its logo. Or FHP;-) as witticisms are presumably supposed to be
read moreIf A. C. F. Beales is to be believed, Leopold George Christian Frederick is probably the only person ever to have walked out of the job of King. Only to pick up an equal post some 2 months later. In his article "The Irish king of Greece" (The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 51, 1931 Part 1 pp. 101-105) Beales argues that Leopold accepted the job as King of Greece in February 1830, but then changed his mind in May 1830 following disputes with Britain over loans to help Greece out of its
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Summer. Sun. Cocktails. In order to allow you to enjoy this combination to the full (smow) are giving away a Dark Lime Panton Chair. To be in with chance of winning a limited edition summer 2011 version of Verner Panton's classic cantilever chair, simply tell us your favourite summer cocktail or mixed drink recipe; alcoholic or non-alcoholic. The only rule is that it must contain a slice of lime! And be perfect for a long summers evening in a Vitra Panton Chair! The competition is open
read moreResearching a text on Donald Judd ahead of the opening of the exhibition "Donald Judd. A good chair is a good chair" at Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum in Munich, we came across an essay he wrote in 1993 called "It’s Hard to Find a Good Lamp" We're not claiming any major scoop here - the text is published on the website of the Donald Judd Foundation and is freely available to all. It was however new for us. And we think we may have a new hero. An engaging, if at times
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If DMY Berlin 2011 had one small disappointment for us it was that Helsinki based German designer Florian Ganter wasn't there with his delightful AIR shelving system. And that despite DMY Berlin being a German design fair with a 2011 focus on Finland. Fortunately, during the festival we received Florian's latest press photos for AIR. Photos which improve greatly on our Stockholm efforts. As we wrote from Stockholm, AIR is just a wonderfully simple, multifaceted modular shelving system that
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Among the most innovative exhibition concepts we saw at DMY 2011 was that from the Holland based Portuguese design platform Made out Portugal. They showed their works in the back of a truck. Or at least they did at the beginning - the combination of location and weather meaning that they did eventually have move indoors. But that's not to distract from the concept itself. Beloved by governments and state institutions looking to increase "participation", or indeed health service providers
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Da vi for nylig var på en lille rejse fik vi øje på en ægte Eames fiberglasbænk fra Herman Miller i en lufthavn. Tager man stedets ret begrænsede faciliteter i betragning, forekommer betegnelsen 'lufthavn' faktisk noget optimistisk, og vores hektiske fotografering af bænken og Herman Miller-klistermærkerne resulterede også i en del latter fra folk omkring os - altså folk, som bruger deres tid på at fotografere fly!! Herefter, da vi var faldet lidt ned efter den hektiske fotografering,
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For all those looking to make their summer balcony even more exclusive, Vitra are currently offering the Panton Chair in a one-off summer 2011 Dark Lime edition. The offer is strictly limited on a first-come-first-serve basis, and only available online. That said, the dark lime Panton Chair costs the same as all other colours! An "exclusive" product at no extra cost. So to say. As with all Vitra Panton Chairs the „Summertime in dark lime" special edition is constructed from a special UV
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The Internet may not, as yet, have been able to provide us with a free lunch; but it has given us free software, music, photos and videos. But more importantly it has given us not only the means and methods by which we can share what we do, but also to alter what other people do so that it fits our requirements. And if the authors and editors behind "Open Design Now: Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive" are to be believed - what is now an everyday norm in digital media will soon become just
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Among the projects at Design Miami Basel 2011 that most appealed to us was without question Cloud by London architect Asif Khan. Conceived within Asif's tenure as one of the 2011 W Hotels Designers of the Future Award winners, Cloud can, at the most primitive level, probably be best described as floating foam. But as with all good design Cloud hides its true genius behind a facade of primitive simplicity. Cloud employs a mixture of Helium, soap and water to create irregular forms that rise
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For their 2011 project the Berlin/Milan design group Transalpino chose to explore the "design" tradition that exists between their two cities. The fruits of their research were presented at DMY Berlin 2011under the title "Made in Between". To find out a little more about the project we spoke to Transalpino member Christoffer Martens. (smow)blog: Briefly, what is the background to "Made in Between"? Christoffer Martens: Normally one would only speak of Berlin as a design city or Milan as a
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Among the new Vitra products launched in Milan one of the most eye-catching was Waver by Konstantin Grcic. Following an initial cooperation in the form of a Vitra Edition project, Waver is Konstantin Grcic's first commercial product for Vitra. Created for outdoor use Waver borrows heavily from the visual aesthetics of "lifestyle" sports to create a product that not only goes its own way formally but is also remarkably comfortable. In the second part of our interview with Konstantin Grcic we
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During DMY Berlin 2011 Daniel Wahl aka weltunit formally launched his new desk top Wilbur. Specially designed for the classic Egon Eiermann table frame, Wilbur's principle function is in helping the user regain control of their workspace. For all cable organisation. Unbeknown to many, Egon Eiermann only designed the table frame - the intention was that user should supply their own top. And indeed many of Eiermann's students simply used old doors on top of their frames. Back then everything
read more.... Greece. Congratulations to Yiannis Ghikas whose Monarchy Stool was awarded the coveted public prize. We caught up with Yiannis during DMY Berlin to find out a little more about the Monarchy Stool, his new coat hanger Game of Trust and the realities of life as product designer in Greece. That's all coming, but until then, here's a short video which beautifully explains the Monarchy Stool
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This year we are finally going to make it to Design Basel. In the past something else always seemed to get in the way; be it illness, other appointments or a feeling deep in our stomachs that it was all just a touch too elitist and too far removed from the world of the normal designer furniture customer to justify the trip. But this year we're healthy, free and a little older and wiser. It in its 6th year Design Basel features exhibitions from 43 international design galleries showing an
read moreOwing to other commitments we have sadly been forced to cancel our trip to Belgrade Design Week. Gutted. Is probably the best description of our emotions at the moment. It was going to be our first visit to Belgrade, and after all the good and positive things we've heard... we were genuinely looking forward to it. Aside from an interesting sounding series of lectures and talks from, amongst others, the likes of Arik Levy, Stefan Diez or Dieter "YELLO" Meier as part of the official design
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For the last in our series of EuroDesignExhibition previews we travel to the spiritual home of Europe. Belgium. Aside from quite possibly Luxembourg, which only Luxembourgians would be cheeky enough to contend even counts, there can no country that has become more identified with the founding ideals of the European community than Belgium. But has it lost its culture identity? Or is a cultural stronger than politics? The question of creating a piece that represents your country wasn't that
read moreNext week the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 begins in Düsseldorf - and we can't remember the last time we saw Lena? Curious. But before the singing starts, Düsseldorf will play host to an equally important attempt at European understanding: EuroDesignExhibition - Sit down please” 40 Stools from 40 Countries" Featuring the work of young designers from across Europe the EuroDesignExhibition is a unique attempt to see if one can define cultures through furniture. Apparently design is an
read moreWe can all describe and define a country in terms of food, music or footballing ability. But can designers define their country through a stool? The exhibition “Sit down please” 40 Stools from 40 Countries" in Düsseldorf will attempt to answer the question? Austria will be represented by Alexander Gufler. How will Alexander handle the challenge? Habsburg excess? Art deco aesthetic? Michael Thonet minimalism? When I received the invitation from Anonym Gestalter I started by thinking about
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