Although, according to our strict definition of "design" the work of Leipzig ceramicist Claudia Biehne must be considered handwork, we're delighted Porcelain Studio Biehne & Passig are taking part in the Designers' Open 2013 Spots. When we dropped by the studio Stefan Passig asked how we first got to know the studio's work, and unlike the romance of a casual meeting under an escalator in a former department store, with Studio Biehne & Passig we really can't recall. Suspect however it was at
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Despite the unnecessary unpleasantness on show at Leipzig Messe, (post to follow, awaiting legal clearance) the 2013 Designers’ Open Spots program provides more than enough reasons to get out and explore Leipzig creativity. One particularly good example is Plagwitz Village based collective diefabrik. Our introduction to diefabrik came via their cardboard furniture collection, including the shelf system “Constructo” and the Lounger “Chair777″, shown at Designers' Open 2009. An introduction
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Vienna's fine, the sun shines most the time The feeling is "laid back" Plane trees grow and Herr Gruber's beer prices are low But you know we keep thinkin' about Making our way back Well we're Leipzig City born and raised But nowadays, We're lost between two shores Vienna's fine, but it ain't home Leipzig's home, But it ain't ours no more......... Which, and with obvious apologies to Niel Diamond, is a somewhat long, involved and frankly unnecessarily depressive way, of saying that the time
read moreFor us the biggest surprise with the announcement that Designers' Open 2013 would be staged in the Glass Hall at Leipzig Messe was the fact that it surprised us. The new organisers are after all Leipzig Messe........ However, somehow it never occurred to us that they would stage it in Schkeuditz. Yet, according to the official press release, having considered "...a multitude of locations...." in Leipzig they decided to host it themselves. A decision we can't pretend to support. For us
read moreFrom 2013 onwards Designers' Open Leipzig will be organised by Leipzig Messe. The current organisers and festival founders Jan Hartmann and Andreas Neubert will continue to assist with the content and conceptual planning; however, all legal and financial control has been taken on by Leipzig Messe. More observant readers will have noticed that we didn't report from Designers' Open 2012. The simple reason is that we saw little reason to visit it. And that despite it being staged about 10
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As we always say one of the joys of visiting design festivals is the chance they offer to explore different parts of the host city. Normally it is the visitors who travel. In Leipzig, it's Designers' Open that travels. The true minstrel under the European design festivals, Designers' Open has been annually packing its kit bag and moving on ever since leaving its, figurative, family home in the Grassi Museum in 2006. Designers Open 2012 will be held from October 25th to 28th in the
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We imagine most of our readers don't understand that much about drums. We certainly don't. Or at least didn't. At Designers' Open we learnt a lot more. And it's a lot more fascinating than you might imagine. Specifically we learnt about the Zoom Bass Drum System from Leipzig based Rockstroh Drums. In essence, in order to change the sound of a bass drum, you have to adjust the tension of the skins. Which involves a lot of work. And takes a lot of time. Rockstroh Drums, working in
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Although it has been quiet around Erik Wester of late, it's fair to say he remains our favourite Norwegian designer. However he now officially has competition. At Designers' Open 2011 a group of 10 Norwegian design students presented examples of their work on a joint stand under the title "Look to Norway" Quite possibly, the first ever Norwegian design to be seen at Designers' Open. For us the most interesting pieces were Le Korpusiør by Jørgen Platou Willumsen - a very simple yet endearing
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Its a real Milan feeling in the (smow)blog team at the moment; as we face an impossible number of parallel exhibitions and events. With Eindhoven and Qubique already running Designers' Open Leipzig 2011 opened it's doors to the public this morning. Although to be fair, it is very nice to be able to get back to the office to type. The top story is that the move to the Baumwollspinnerei is, at least from a visitors perspective, a full success. Halle 14 has just a wonderful ambiance that
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We've long since accepted that there are more design weeks in a year than actual weeks. But we still can't accept the poor coordination between the various festivals. June, July, August.Basically nothing. September, October. Every day Copenhagen, London, Brussels, Budapest, Istanbul, Vienna, Eindhoven, Leipzig, Lodz, Zürich.... Every 2 years Orgatec in Cologne. And in the midst of all this Berlin sprouts Qubique. Hallo! We however have no choice. Or at least little choice. Our October
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Just before we head of to Berlin for DMY Berlin 2011 comes confirmation that our own local design festival, Designers' Open, has a new home for 2011 - the Baumwollspinnerei in our very own Lower East Plagwitz Village. Among the more nomadic design festivals Designers' Open has been staged in numerous wonderful venues throughout Leipzig, but the move to the city's Baumwollspinnerei promises not only a spectacular backdrop to the festival, but also a slight increase in the festival's reputation
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We first saw Becherlicht by Martin Neuhaus at Designers Fair 2010 in Cologne. And are still in awe. Our interview with Martin Neuhaus from Designers' Open will be published soon; but for now a few images.
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At Designers' Open 2009 (smow) first discovered Austrian producer Perludi, who were making their first appearance in Leipzig. Since when their wonderful MAXintheBOX has been part of the (smow) kid's collection. And obviously Designers' Open 2009 was generally a good one for Perludi, because they came back to Leipzig for Designers' Open 2010. On the (smow)blog desk we use a mini MAXintheBOX as a visiting card holder. In real-size MAXintheBOX can be more or less whatever your child wants
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For us Designers' Open 2010 was a wonderful mixture of new discoveries and renewed meetings with old favourites. Such as Collecteur by Christian Lessing. We first saw back Collecteur in January at Designers Fair in Cologne - and are still impressed by the simple genius of the design. In essence Collecteur is a stool/side table that receives its stability from magazines. Perfect for all those of us with large magazine collection we can't bear to part with but which we can't find appropriate
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When we visited the "Summaery" exhibition at Bauhaus Uni Weimar one object stood out amongst all the others. Sadly, at that point we were asked not to say too much about it; for reasons all designers will understand. But now we can. R2B2 by Christoph Thetard is well on it's way to being our "Design of the Year", and having caught up with Christoph Thetard at Designers' Open in Leipzig we have to say that the industry could well use a few more designers with his approach. But more on
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At the 2010 Marianne Brandt Contest, Halle based designer Caspar Huckfeldt won the (smow)/Vitra Special Prize for his "Damensattel" In essence a removable plastic saddle that attaches to the crossbar, Damensattel allows a bike passenger to carried sitting side saddle. Think of the scene with "I'm singing in the rain" from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and you've got the idea. In selecting Damensattel the Vitra judges praised the design as being "a real charmer" that draws people
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Mannno! If we're honest we didn't expect Orgatec 2010 to be such fun, or to be so sorry to leave. For us Orgatec is one of those "must dos" Not must do as in the sense of, "If you don't go you'll regret it for the rest of your life" but more "your going, stop your bleating and accept it!" But at the end of the day we could have happily spent another couple of days in Cologne. Aside from a range of interesting new products at Vitra and Thonet, we discovered a host of new office
read moreThere are some design blogs who simply retype press releases, resize press photos and abracadabra - a blog post. Our standards are a little higher. Which is why we visit design fairs, design weeks, design competitions and design exhibitions. Because only by talking to designers, talking to producers and by actually testing the products can you decide if the PR hype is justified. The minus is of course that design fairs being the new film festivals - our schedule is an absolute nightmare.
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After several months searching we finally got our hands on MAXintheBOX from Graz based producer Perludi. MAXintheBOX is probably best described as a box. Which of course can barely begin to describe the beauty of the creation. But is at least a start. Crafted from birch plywood each MAXintheBOX set consists of two modular elements that can be combined in many different ways; as chair, table, desk ... or hiding place. Although principally intended for children, MAXintheBOX is strong enough
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Its a little known fact, but the printer in (smow)HQ sits atop a "Block" by Frank Gehry. And indeed in general we at (smow)blog are long standing fans of corrugated cardboard furniture; and not only since introducing the world to Stuart Miller during the 2009 Saloni. Shelf 114/115 from Leipzig based diefabrik didn't quite set our hearts ablaze as much as Stuarts nameless chair, but did make us very happy. It is a truly, truly ridiculous concept. Oval cardboard forms with exaggerated teeth
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Barely were we through the doors Designers Open doors, than we stumbled into an old friend. Nido by Eva Marguerre We first saw Nido at the kkaarrllss in Milan, a showcase featuring works from students at the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung in Karlsruhe. And were greatly taken by it. A couple of weeks later and up it popped again at DMY Berlin. And we suspect, though at this moment can't prove, that Eva Marguerre and her Nido have also been in London, Brussels and Copenhagen of late.
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The fifth Leipzig Designers Open is well ... Open. For the next three days over 150 international exhibitors will be presenting their furniture, fashion, jewellery and product/communication designs and concepts in the unique atmosphere of the Merkurhaus. We're old enough that we can recall numerous Merkurhaus tenants, but none that offered such a varied and high quality selection as at this years Designers Open. Which is proabably why they all stopped trading and while Designers Open grows
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Our new flash has arrived .... and that just in the nick of time. (As the name tends to imply ;) ) For this coming Friday the 2009 Designers' Open will once again present the finest selection in contemporary design from 150 international designers. And that right here in Leipzig. In addition, a series of lectures, workshops, discussions and "hands on" events will not only wonderfully complement the exhibition, but, hopefully, invigorate, motivate and illuminate both industry professionals and
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