Dezeen School Shows: tableware that encourages users to play with food and a collection of afro combs for those who have been separated from their African heritage are included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at ArtEZ University of the Arts.

Also included is a virtual reality cooking game and an energy box that becomes animated when a household consumes energy.

ArtEZ University of the Arts

School: ArtEZ University of the Arts
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Tutors: Judith van den Boom, Cathelijne Engelkes, Thomas van den Bliek, Jeroen van den Eijnde, Raw Color, Hella Godee, Roel Griffioen, Katja Gruijters, David Heldt, Marcel van Kan, Merel Karhof, Frank Kolkman, Theo Konijnenburg, Sander Luske, Rianne Makkink, Klaartje Martens, Magda Saarloos, Ton Schulte, Rolf Schoeber, Rixt van der Tol and Renate Volleberg

School statement:

"Some dream, some do, some do both is the central ethos of the department. With a history of more than 50 years, the Product Design course has taught many generations and dynamically evolved in accordance with the ever-changing nature of the design.

"Beyond developing artistic expertise, design skills and material knowledge, the programme stimulates students to apply design across an increasingly diverse, interdisciplinary and entangled domain.

"Product Design strives to function as a laboratory for experimenting with the role of design within society and contribute in transformative, imaginative and responsible ways."

Group B by Gabriel Giordano

"Innovation is formed in the absence of rules and restrictions. What if a shoe could take on this role?

"It could become a way of repositioning how we think of our physical abilities, footwear expectations, as well as a tool for self-expression, suspended from the conventions of what a sneaker needs to be while maintaining its essence.

"An idea hand-crafted from a passion for footwear, car culture and science fiction that, with professional development, can open doors for an exciting future. A future where creative expression drives innovation and helps humanity strive to transcend beyond its limits."

Student: Gabriel Giordano
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: giordanogabriel7[at]gmail.com

Nat Land by Max Degen

"The project Nat Land consists of a stop-motion film and two objects that illustrate the story of a person in the Netherlands adapting to climate change.

"The Netherlands is facing big challenges due to climate change. One of the more nature-centred and exciting solutions to these problems would be to allow more water in Dutch landscapes.

"The project Nat Land tries to shift the future from climate anxiety to enthusiasm by using humour and light provocation."

Student: Max Degen
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: max[at]maxdegen.nl

Moōn by Emma Knaken

"This project includes playful tableware objects that invite you to create a different dining experience. Moōn is designed as a landscape on your table, made up of objects that will change the way you look at dining.

"The objects are made of wood, glass and ceramics. The shapes, colours and textures invite you to let go of your boundaries and play with the food and the table setting.

"I believe we need to see food as a celebration again, instead of a necessity. Let's start to enjoy and play with our food!"

Student: Emma Knaken
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: ek[at]emmaknaken.com

Tree Imprints by Maria Jantina Geuke

"The universe from which this jewellery collection was created is rooted in distinct body expressions, tattoos, tree structures and nature religions. Trees are the muses in this story.

"Contemporary techniques are used, combining resin 3D printing with traditional craftsmanship to create an aesthetic that values the current and the ancient.

"The pieces encapsulate a raw piece of pine to worship the material world and as a symbol of how precious nature is. The pinewood is turned into tattoo ink through a burning ritual, fusing the tree with the skin as a permanent reminder that we are part of nature."

The photography is by Dhiren Rao and the model is Alicia Muñoz Meza.

Student: Maria Jantina Geuke
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: sanctaluscuscustoms[at]gmail.com

Sky Pies: On a Bed of Grass by Suzanne Bongers

"This project is a VR cooking game with corresponding utensils, created as an alternative to a physical kitchen.

"In a future where we outsource all of our food production, home cooking has become a hobby instead of a necessity, similar to sewing one's own clothing or having a vegetable garden.

"What would we miss if we didn't cook anymore? Would we still have kitchens? This VR game is created as a new way of cooking without real-life food.

"It transforms the act of cooking into an adventurous and physical gaming experience creating fictional meals."

Student: Suzanne Bongers
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: suzanne.a.bongers[at]gmail.com

Embracing Black by Fleuri La Belle Ngapy

"Embracing Black is a collection of traditional amulet chains and afro combs for people who were separated from their African roots. They as tools to reconnect and celebrate Black pride and identity.

"Growing up mixed Dutch-Congolese in the Netherlands, Ngapy never had much connection to their Congolese roots. This project is about embracing their African roots and skin colour.

"As a person of colour, Ngapy has often felt out of place in the white, western-dominated world. They made a series of amulet chains that represent ancient Congolese cosmology and spiritual paint rituals for the wearer to embrace their skin colour and African ancestry."

Student: Fleuri La Belle Ngapy
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: fleuri.labelle[at]outlook.com

Your Home is Not: You and Your Pet by Yara Abbondanza

"This project proposes environments in which humans and non-humans encounter each other directly and participate as active agents in shaping the city, leading to more liveable landscapes for everyone.

"The project consists of ordinary household components designed to benefit both humans and non-human species. These objects are integrated into the construction process of the house.

"The use of concrete and ceramics combined with the innovative technique of 3D printing is applied to mimic the aesthetics of the interior of insect nests and shed light on the mysterious world of the invertebrates."

Student: Yara Abbondanza
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: yara.abbondanza[at]gmail.com

Uit de Meterkast by Rosalie Apituley

"At some point, we stopped understanding how our energy infrastructures actually work. How many kWh do we even use per day?

"Uit de Meterkast consists of two lamps that turn on by measuring watt-hours and an electricity box meant as a provocation to make energy use more visible.

"The wheels on the box, labelled by house numbers, turn faster when a household uses electricity."

Student: Rosalie Apituley
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: rosalie.apituley[at]xs4all.nl

Beyond the Lid by Mily Bogaarts

"Beyond the Lid explores how the greatest stories can be found right under our noses.

"Bogaarts went on a 'kitchen safari' and found the most mundane object – a lid.

"A kitchen lit has been the source of inspiration for Bogaarts' project, as it has given them unexpected insights into food preservation and our attitude towards nature."

Student: Mily Bogaarts
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: milybogaarts[at]hotmail.com

Modular Plaster by Marieke Cornielje

"This project involves a flexible modular mould that captures the versatility of ceramics. The production technique is capable of creating an endless number of different shapes and, therefore, just as many unique porcelain objects.

"This is done by constructing a transformable mould out of a collection of plaster bars that can be moved, inverted, added and removed.

"The process of creation is just as important as the outcome. The outside of the work is left unglazed and the rough edges created by different parts of the mould are left irregular, honouring the material process."

Student: Marieke Cornielje
Course: Product Design ArtEZ
Email: mariekecornielje[at]gmail.com

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and ArtEZ University of the Arts. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.