.... 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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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
read moreOn May 6th the inaugural, and quite possibly concluding, EuroDesignExhibition opens in Düsseldorf. Under the title "“Sit down please” 40 Stools from 40 Countries" an array of young international designers have been challenged with describing their country in a stool. Ahead of the opening we spoke to Denmark's representative Monique Engelund about her entry: When I got the brief for the exhibition and read "How do you sit in your country?", "Make a stool that tells a story about your country",
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Despite the fact the everyone knows that the Eurovision Song Contest hasn't been any good since Bucks Fizz got all pseudo-erotic in Dublin in 1981: the carcass of the dream is still flogged remorselessly every spring. Last year Germany won and so on May 14th Dusseldorf will host European broadcasting's biggest gannet fest. Perhaps the saddest aspect of the whole tawdry spectacle is that amid the drive to appeal to the lowest common denominator of European taste, the identity and
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