Milan 08: Dutch designers Studio Job exhibited their Farm project in Milan, in association with Eindhoven-based Designhuis.
The collection includes objects traditionally found on a farm such as a milk pitcher, garden fork and spade and cooking pots cast in metal.
The collection will be housed permanently in a contemporary barn at the Zuiderzee museum in the Netherlands from June.
The following information is from Designhuis:
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The designhuis presents Farm by Studio Job
In the fall of 2007 the city of Eindhoven was presented with another icon; a permanent space to exhibit design, discuss design and promote design in the Netherlands and abroad. An educational space for the public at large, the creative community and the students of the design academy in particular. Situated in a beautiful building which is a prime example of 60’s architecture, the designhuis activities started with Bold, exhibiting the young body of work of Studio Job from their humble beginnings in chubby cardboard furniture to the monumental bronzes of today.
To formulate a dialogue with the international public, the designhuis is now taking place in Milan and will consequently present its vision in several cities around the world during major design events where we hope to meet with colleagues, friends, press and sister institutions to collaborate and exchange so as to become a nomadic brand organising guerilla activities whenever it is needed or for fun.
As an extension of its beginnings the designhuis is proud to present ’Farm’, the most recent work of studio job as part of this year’s salone internazionale del mobile. This seminal show marks a return to the rural elements in design and society and pictures humble stable tools, a spade and fork, milk pitchers and pails, cooking pots and a frying pan that also doubles as a mirror.
Now that the farmers of the world will clothe, feed and fuel us, a far reaching movement will trigger designers to revisit folk and farm mentalities to blend rural and urban style. Perfectly in tune with our times, the young couple has been designing an ode to their country roots in stark contrast with the opulent and monumental ‘robber baron’ series designed for the Americans.
In an amazing barn-like space in the centre of Milan, twenty-four bronze works and six pieces of pallissander furniture will evoke the archetypal artefacts of the low lands including Germany, Flandres and the Netherlands. Shown in an almost calvanistic setting, this rigourous and strong collection is counterbalanced by a folding fresco screen depicting the ideal of life on the farm in bright and naive colours.
This installation is courtesy of the Zuiderzee museum in the Netherlands and will be unveiled in its permanent contemporary barn there on the 5th of June 2008. A country kitchen with dutch regional food will be at the visitors disposal; a space to meet Li Edelkoort and the designers Nynke Tynagel and Job Smeets.
Li Edelkoort, art director, designhuis.
The designhuis so far:
The designhuis has received much acclaim in its opening half year, following ‘Bold’ by studio job came ‘family of form’, a landmark exhibition which was first featured during milan’s furniture fair in 2007 to mark the design academy’s 60th birthday and showing the iconic work of its celebrated alumni. These first two shows attracted around 20,000 visitors which is significant for a newlyestablished and regional cultural space. Interesting also were the demographics of visitors, ranging from the elderly to young school children, foreign delegates and social and business clubs.
From the 10th of april to the 8th of june the designhuis is exhibiting ‘form & volume’, a series of case studies from major retail brands that use design as a strategic tool for the masses. The products on show include designs from muji, fashion for h&m created by viktor & rolf, a collection of objects for coin curated by cristina morozzi, and merchandise from the adventurous mr. price, which is stimulating and developing craft designed by local talent in south africa.
From london we will feature a graphic collage of recent young designer creations by topshop. The talented mr maxim vecovsky will teach the public how to be creative with already existing designs by ikea. Renault is starring a brand new car design for the emerging economies and the much loved and very dutch retail chain hema has joined forces with the prestigious rijksmuseum to design innovative souvenirs for the 21st century.
A direct link to this exhibition will be broadcast during the milan event. As part of its summer programmes, from the 22nd of june a major overview of ‘the dutch bike’ will be shown to the public, and the ultimate fashion show of emerging talent will be organised early september.
The designhuis is an initiative of li edelkoort for design academy eindhoven, produced by the stichting brainport and sponsored by the city of eindhoven.
