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CONFRONT
Belgium is Design presents
Milan Design Week 2015
ING
THE
MASTERS
ING
THE
MASTERS
CONFRONT
‘Belgium is Design’ is a declaration of passion for
design, highlighting the unique characteristics of
Belgium’s creative production. A joint declaration
between the three different regions in the country,
it recognizes that Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia
are host to various talented designers that transcend cultural, linguistic and sociological differences to form a unique style. It is an approach
that qualifies the statement ‘Belgium is Design’.
‘Belgium is Design’ is a common label for
the collective actions organized in Belgium and
abroad by the following institutions: WallonieBruxelles Design Mode, Design Flanders and
MAD Brussels — Mode and Design Centre. And it
is also enthusiastically supported by the Flemish,
Walloon and Brussels export promoting organizations: Brussels Invest & Export and Wallonia
Foreign Trade and Investment Agency.
Each year many Belgian firms attend
Milan Design Week, largely at Salone del Mobile’s
fairground site. The fair and its expansive offprogramme in the city is the most important design
event in the world, where producers, buyers,
the press, and all those associated with the
industry assemble annually. As such, Belgian
governmental initiatives support their presence
and try to stimulate new talent to connect to
an international audience in this setting.
In the Belgian federal system, promotion
of export is predominantly a regional concern.
Each region, Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia,
attends the Milan Design Week through its own
initiative and has done so for many years. In this
crowded event, however, it is vital to find a way
to stand out and get maximum exposure. Since
the whole is more than the sum of its parts,
the regional agencies for the promotion of design
came together with those for international entrepreneurship. In the beginning, this resulted in
joint communication on the Belgian presence in
Milan to give an overview of the different public
and private initiatives, but since 2011 a common
approach has evolved further. The various government initiatives have now been integrated
into a single presentation, always under the auspices, of course, of ‘Belgium is Design’.
This year, the design of Belgium has
chosen the historically location of Accademia
di Belle Arti di Brera, in Milano, to showcase its
talents. While the SaloneSatellite, the international platform for emerging design promoted
by Cosmit at the fairground continues to be an
effective springboard for many Belgian designers that has been supported by the regional
institutions for nearly a decade.
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2
Introduction
MARINA BAUTIER
ALAIN BERTEAU
BRAM BOO
NATHALIE DEWEZ
JEAN-FRANÇOIS D’OR
NEDDA EL-ASMAR
ALAIN GILLES
STEFAN SCHÖNING
MULLER VAN SEVEREN
SYLVAIN WILLENZ
Introduction Belgium is Design
Foreword Confronting the Masters
Partners
Practical Information
Press Service
Designers of the Year
3
Index
Belgium is Design presents
Confronting the Masters
Milan Design Week 2015
Belgium is Design brings together the latest work
by the 10 Belgian designers who earned the
title Designer of the Year at a time when they
were still young promising talent.
“... A GROUP OF TEN
INDIVIDUALS WHOSE
WORK SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT BELGIAN
DESIGN...”
4
Foreword
The Designer of the Year was conceived ten years
ago when Interieur Foundation was looking
for a way to put home-grown talent and young
Belgian designers into the limelight and to
promote them to national and international audiences. Different partners who were willing to
provide their support for the award all joined the
group (Bozar in Brussel, CID/Centre d’Innovation
et de Design in Le Grand-Hornu, Design Museum
Ghent) and in 2006, in cooperation with the
publishing company Roularta, Alain Berteau was
chosen as the first Designer of the Year. At the
time he was still relatively new and unknown in
the world of design. His approach appealed to
the jury. He had convinced a few interesting
companies to work with his creations. And above
all he was at an interesting point in his career.
The point between having acquired sufficient
background and experience and the moment just
before a great breakthrough.
Choosing designers at this particular
point in their careers was to become the guiding
principle of this award. No prize for a successful
career or as a means of encouragement, but a
well-conceived award presented to designers
with sufficient originality to ensure that their
name would be on everyone’s lips for a long
time to come. After Alain Berteau it was the turn
of designers Sylvain Willenz, Stefan Schöning,
Nedda El-Asmar, Bram Boo, Nathalie Dewez, Alain
Gilles, Jean-François d’Or and Marina Bautier
to walk off with the title. And in 2015 the award
went to Muller Van Severen.
The award has grown in stature and now, ten
Designers of the Year later, we can see a modest history of exhibitions in Belgium as well as
articles in leading national and international
magazines that have contributed to promoting
the names of the designers among the general
public at home and to generating a greater
awareness of them abroad.
The Ten have since conquered the world
and the partners that make up Belgium is Design
(Design Flanders, Wallonie-Bruxelles Design
Mode, Brussels Invest & Export and MAD
Brussels) had no hesitation about offering them
a joint platform at the international furniture fair
in Milan, where they will be showcased in the fittingly prestigious setting of the Sala Napoleonica
in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, right in
the creative heart of Milan.
It is here in this historic setting that their
most recent work will be presented and where,
surrounded by academic studies by the great
classic masters, they will fearlessly present their
work side by side with centuries of cultural
heritage. The international design scene is familiar
with The Ten and thanks to their unbridled creativity and serious professionalism; they enjoy
tremendous acclaim among international design
companies. In the exhibition ‘The Power of
Object(s). Design bestsellers in Belgium’ that
was on show until recently in the Brussels exhibition area of the ING Bank, they were present
with their bestsellers. The German company
Freecom for instance, sold millions of copies
of the widely acclaimed hard disc xxs Mobile
Drive (2012) by Sylvain Willenz and the Big Table
(2009) by Alain Gilles became the design icon of
the Italian furniture company Bonaldo.
What makes them so special? They each have
their own identity and signature, their own way
of working in their own domain. From furniture
design to lighting design, from product development to total interior design. Some are further
along their career paths; others are more eccentric
in their design language. Their designs have
seduced. Some are ingenious, some are pure
poetry. They are often characterised by a clear
line. A group of ten individuals whose work says
something about Belgian design. Not something
that can be condensed into one single name or
one single category. But that is represented by
at least ten names. Looks like we have much to
get excited about in Milan.
Dieter Van den Storm
5
Foreword
The Lap desk, designed for Case
Furniture, is a modular solution
designed with simplicity in mind.
The Lap desk is adaptable to
work in different environments.
Starting with a desk unit, you can
add extensions with a mixture
of trays, deep & shallow boxes
or shelves to store a variety of
paperbacks and objects. The
desk is an addition to the Lap
shelving system designed in 2009.
The name ‘Lap’ refers to how
the metal overlaps the wood
structure. How you arrange the
components is up to you, and they
can be rearranged at any time.
6
marinabautier.com
Lap Desk by Case Furniture (casefurniture.co.uk), 2015
Solid oak frame, oak veneered shelves and desk top and powder coated folded sheet metal
138 or 170 x 76 x 74 cm
Marina Bautier was born in
Brussels in 1980, where she lives
and works. After studying at
Buckinghamshire Chilterns
University College, she returned
to Brussels to set up her own
practice in 2003. Marina works
for several international brands,
including Idée (JP), Ligne Roset
(FR), Swedese (SE), Stattmann
Neue Moebel (DE) and Case
Furniture (UK). After ten years of
working in the furniture industry,
2013 felt like the right time for
the launch of her own label along
with its own retail space — its
name: MA.
“...
A MODULAR
SOLUTION DESIGNED
WITH SIMPLICITY
IN MIND...”
Object
Portrait
© Marina Bautier
Icon
Cruiser lounge chair by Swedese, 2010
I MARINA BAUTIER
7
Confronting the Masters
The discreet, timeless Nightclub
collection of armchairs and sofas with a frame-free convertible
feature can turn any seat into a
comfortable lounging position
for late-night cinema sessions.
10
alainberteau.com
Nightclub by Objecten (objecten.com)
Structure: steel, plain wood and wood panels. Back, seat and facing fillings: multiple densities polyether foam
Upholstery: felt, linen, cotton, canvas, polyester / 65,5 x 80 x 89,5 / 140 cm / Photo © Julien Renault
The Brussels-based architect and
designer Alain Berteau has been
designing products, spaces and
/or creative strategies for some
of the industry’s leading businesses since 2002. Bulo, ABV,
Montis, RVB, Wildspirit, AGC and,
more recently, Objekten (of which
he is co-founder) are among his
clients. His design stands out for
its functional inventiveness and
eco-friendly innovation. He has
always been committed to developing and promoting relevant
design solutions through innovative typologies and functional
improvements.
His original architecture
practice has evolved into an
award-winning product and interior design agency, which was
the first to receive the Interieur
Kortrijk Biennale designer of the
year award in 2006. Alain Berteau
is professor of Design at La
Cambre since 2003 and was the
renovator and curator of Isola
Comacina (Lake Como 2010–13).
His work has attracted significant
international recognition and
now features in the permanent
collection of the Design Museum
in Ghent.
“... STANDS OUT FOR
ITS FUNCTIONAL
INVENTIVENESS
AND ECO-FRIENDLY
INNOVATION...”
Object
Portrait
© Alain Berteau
Icon
Swing lamp by Objecten, 2006
II ALAIN BERTEAU
11
Confronting the Masters
14
bramboo.be
Mate by Bulo (bulo.com) 250 x 85 x 150 cm / wood or plywood and veneer / Photo © Kirsten Thys
Bro by Bulo / 50 x 55 x 40 cm / lacquered steel, plywood, ash veneer / Photo © Bulo
Bram Boo designed in 2010
display furniture pieces, a mix
of curved parts together with
straight ones. At that moment he
knew it would be inspiring for him
and the process started! ‘MATE’
originates from the coherence
between table and screen,
horizontal and vertical. For me it
is obvious that they are one and
so form an archetypical object.
Function displayed in all its
trueness, defining a space in a
symbolic and discrete way.
’MATE‘ subtly fits in every space,
as a desk, a mirror, a coffee corner and many other settings…
The stool ’Bro‘ is the perfect helpmate for the desk and interacts
well by it’s curved shape.
The pieces are produced
by Bulo with local massive wood
in collaboration with BOSQ.
There will be two collections:
one in massive wood and one
made of veneer. The massive
wooden pieces will be numbered
and stamped by the origin of the
wood. The first series of desks
will be made out of an ash tree
coming from the botanical garden
Meise near Brussels. Next set is
made out of a dead oak tree
which grew in the backyard of
the designer.
Objects
Portrait
© Joke Timmermans
Icon
Overdose by Bulo, 2007
III BRAM BOO
“...
FUNCTION
DISPLAYED IN ALL ITS
TRUENESS, DEFINING
A SPACE IN A
SYMBOLIC AND
DISCRETE WAY...”
15
Confronting the Masters
Car Light arose from the workshop, ‘Glass is tomorrow’, which
took place in Boda (Sweden) in
July 2013, launched by Pro
Materia in partnership with the
Swedish manufacturer The Glass
Factory. Car headlights were
selected by Nathalie Dewez as
the source of inspiration and the
basis of experimental work with
glass blowers. Could the ribbed,
etched glass of car headlights
be artistically reworked and used
to make an indoor light? By
mouth-blowing the glass in a cylindrical mould lined with a grille,
Nathalie Dewez obtained dome
shapes on which the desired
motif was marked in relief. Each
glass light thus produced is a
unique piece which projects the
shape of its halo of light onto
the surface on which it sits and
on the surrounding walls.
18
nathaliedewez.com
“...
PASSION FOR
SCULPTURAL SHAPES
AND SUPERIOR
CRAFTSMANSHIP...”
Car Light by Ligne Roset (ligne-roset.be)
Table lamp with chromed aluminium base. Shade in clear mouthblown glass. Transparent PVC cable.
Transparent manual switch/dimmer / 33G9 eco halogen bulb / 16 x 16 x 23 cm
The work of Nathalie Dewez
extends from small objects to
monumental installations, from
the unique piece to the industrial
product, in collaboration with
international brands such as
Hermès (FR), Habitat (UK), Ligne
Roset (FR), Established&Sons
(UK), Moome (BE), among others.
Nathalie Dewez is a designer
whose medium is light and whose
materials vary between metal,
glass and other long-lasting medium. Nathalie’s designs reveals
her passion for sculptural shapes
and superior craftsmanship.
Object
Portrait
© Patricia Mathieu
Icon
Balance by Bislighting, 2009
IV NATHALIE DEWEZ
19
Confronting the Masters
V JEAN-FRANÇOIS D’OR
June is a table collection built
with straight basic graphic lines
with Cruso high quality finishing
and materials. The assemble
construction of the base brings
a long storage place under the
top plate. A collection of stackable wooden trays fits within
that storage gap. July is a wooden
trays collection built with Cruso
high quality finishing. This collection of stackable wooden trays
fits within the storage gap of the
June table collection of Cruso.
“In a lively but delicate
gesture, he slipped the tray in the
ample storage gap underneath
the table; I did not know if I was
still permitted to take these
fresh September nuts. June was
the name of the table, July the
name of those trays.”
22
loudordesign.be
June tables by Cruso (cruso.com) oak / Small table 240 x 80 x 75 cm / Large table 300 x 80 x 75 cm
July trays by Cruso (cruso.com) / oak / Small tray 14 x 24 cm / Large tray 14 x 42 cm / Photo © Lenzer
For Jean-François d’Or design
is a matter of harmony, an eye
and a tool for quality and identity
of product. It is a central factor
of innovatie technologies and a
crucial factor of cultural and
economic exchange. Industrial
design seeks to assess structural,
organisational, functional, expressive and economic relationships
in order to establish the multifaceted qualities of objects.
ESTABLISH THE
MULTI-FACETED
QUALITIES
OF OBJECTS...”
Objects
Portrait
© Diego Franssens
Icon
Bonbonne by Ligne Roset, 2005
“...
23
Confronting the Masters
26
nedda.be
“...
SOBER SHAPES
THAT LOOK GRACIOUS,
CONTEMPORARY
AND TIMELESS...”
Glass collection by Serax (serax.com) / Rendering © Tom Indekeu
Doorhandle by Vervloet (vervloet.com) / Rendering © Tom Indekeu
Nedda El-Asmar trained as a
silversmith, but it is impossible to
sum up her various activities over
the last twenty years in one word.
Openness, flexibility and diversity
are key concepts in her thinking
and design approach. She is
always ready to look beyond what
she knows already. She is quick
to see possibilities, even if a
commission comes from an unexpected source. As a result she
has evolved into an acclaimed
designer with a broad field of
activity, praised as widely for a
condom holder as for silver
dishes, for cutlery as for water
pipes, for dinner services, for
leather saddles, for tables and
chairs as well as for mussel pots
and incense burners. She employs
sober, softly undulating shapes
that look gracious, contemporary
and timeless. Her fresh, innovative view of tradition is always
surprising. Her designs are functional, up-to-date and aesthetic,
poetic and a tad secretive.
Since 2008 product designer Erik Indekeu has been her
business and design partner.
They had worked together previously and this partnership and
her nomination as Designer of
the Year in 2007 mean that the
diversification of her projects has
gained momentum. Their adagio
“A world of seemingly simple
shapes” perfectly describes their
designs. (Chris Meplon)
Objects
Portrait
© Elyane Van Coillie
Icon
Narghilé for Airdiem, 2006 / Photo © L Pirroneau
VI NEDDA EL-ASMAR
27
Confronting the Masters
Alain Gilles is a Belgian designer
born in 1970. After studying
Political Sciences and Marketing
management he worked in international finance. Later he studied
industrial design in France. He
opened his own Studio in 2007.
30
alaingilles.com
“... I WORK ON WHAT I
CALL ‘SIMPLEXITY’,
SIMPLE YET
COMPLEX DESIGNS...”
The Pure by Debuchy By Toulet (debuchybytoulet.com)
Wooden strcuture, massive oak wood for the legs and top,
PMMA shell, players and bars in chromed aluminium / 159 x 93 x 98 cm
“I work on what I call ‘Simplexity’,
simple yet complex designs.
Designs that have several layers
of understanding. I also work
on what I call ‘New Simplicity’
designs that have a true identity
but tend to use a minimum
amount of material. This should
not be seen as minimalism, but
rather as a will to use the right
materials for their inner qualities.
My style is graphic,
architectural and dynamic, but
also warm and lively. I always
make sure that the objects I
design, as artistic or conceptual
as they may be, never lose their
function. I tend to be satisfied
with my designs when they
achieve the right balance between
a masculine and a feminine side.
Typically, my sources of
inspirations are threefold: the
human aspect and interaction in
the project; the architectural
and structural aspect; and the
graphic aspect of the project or
the ability to correctly read and
understand the project.
Overall, my aim is to design pieces that are fresh, can
evolve over time and that could
potentially become classics…”
Object
Portrait
© Thomas De Boever
Icon
Big Table by Bonaldo, 2009
VII ALAIN GILLES
31
Confronting the Masters
VIII STEFAN SCHÖNING
“Legnosystem is a glass cabinet
in which I have tried to introduce
the lovely but difficult combination of two basic materials:
glass and wood. The exercise
in this design is to find the right
balance between two materials
without losing the functionality
of the product.”
34
stefanschoning.com
Legnosystem by FIAM Italia (fiamitalia.it)
Glass, wood / 102 x 39 x 120 cm
In search of developing his
identity, Stefan Schöning works
in a lot of different fields with a
variety of products and materials. Toys, lighting, furniture,
kitchenware, consumer products,
public design, all of these
industries require a different approach and gather a knowledge
which is exchangeable. This approach results in designs which
go further than standard production. Every design case can
lead to applying new technologies and materials in order to
sharpen the appearance of the
design’s identity. Elimination is
an important guide during this
design process. “If you draw a
line, it has to replace all other
redundant lines. It has to be that
line, with all its characteristics.
this is absolutely necessary to
keep the world free from clutter
and excess.” IF YOU DRAW A
LINE, IT HAS TO
REPLACE ALL OTHER
REDUNDANT LINES...”
Object
Portrait
© Charlie De Keersmaecker
Icon
Folder by Polyline, 2011
“...
35
Confronting the Masters
38
mullervanseveren.be
3 pieces desk (valerietraan.be),
Oxidized steel, lacquered steel sheet / 74 / 114 x 120 x 70 cm
Photographer Fien Muller (1978)
and sculptor Hannes van Severen
(1979) made their debut as a design duo at Gallery Valerie Traan
in Antwerp three years ago.
Their joint furniture project was
almost immediately picked up
internationally and they were
selected as international guests
at the Interieur Design Biennale
in Kortrijk in 2012. They were
nominated for prestigious international awards, including the
Design of the Year 2013 award
at the Design Museum in London
and the Wallpaper Magazine
Designer of the Year award 2014.
They continue their
inspired quest for sculpturally
interesting furniture objects —
spontaneously and seemingly
without effort. It appears once
again that the universe they create
together is a very natural extension of their work as individual
artists. The crucial difference
lies in the functionality, to which
they don’t want to make any
concessions in their furniture.
Their fascination with
certain materials and their properties, their special sense of
colour and the characteristic
tension between sober and playful or static and dynamic provide
continuity and familiarity in their
new work.
“...
APPROACH
FUNCTION IN THEIR
OWN, UNIQUE AND
INVENTIVE WAY...”
Object
Portrait
© Mirjam Devriendt
Icon
Table + lamp
IX MULLER VAN SEVEREN
39
Confronting the Masters
ARCH chair for Wildspirit (BE)
is a dynamic and elegant chair
combining the richness of a detailed massive wood structure
with the simplicity of its bold
seat and backrest. The unique
identity of ARCH lies in its fine
proportions and a soft sinuous
back leg. Features such as
assembly details and chamfers
which run along its edges have
been emphasized into slender
surfaces onto which light gently
shines off. ARCH is stackable
and comes with and without
armrests, in various wood and
leather finishes as well as in Teak
for outdoor usage.
42
sylvainwillenz.com
Arch Chair by Wildspirit (wildspirit.eu) / Oak or teak, seat in oak or teak or upholstered in leather
With armrests 78,5 x 55 x 49,3 cm / Without armrests 78,5 x 47,2 x D505
Established in 2004, Sylvian
Willenz Design Office is an
industrial design office based in
Brussels, with an approach to
design characterised by a clear
inquisitiveness for products,
industry and processes. Sylvain
Willenz and his team, work on
various projects ranging from
lighting to products, IT electronics and furniture. SWDO works
internationally with renowned
clients such as Cappellini (IT),
Established & Sons (UK),
Freecom (NL/DE), Hay (DK),
Tamawa (BE), Karimoku New
Standard (JP) amongst others.
“... CHARACTERISED
BY A CLEAR INQUISITIVENESS FOR
PRODUCTS, INDUSTRY
AND PROCESSES...”
Object
Portrait
© SWDO
Icon
Torch by Established & Sons, 2008
X SYLVAIN WILLENZ
43
Confronting the Masters
Belgium is Design
Institutions promoting Belgian design
Belgium is Design
DESIGN FLANDERS
Christian Oosterlinck
Inge Vranken
+32 (0)2 227 60 60
[email protected]
www.designvlaanderen.be
Institutions promoting Belgian Export
WALLONIE INVEST & EXPORT
Laure Capitani
+32 (0)2 421 84 42
[email protected]
www.awex.be
Milan Office
Cécile Flagothier
+39 02 29004061
[email protected]
MAD BRUSSELS
MODE AND DESIGN CENTER
Alexandra Lambert
+32 (0)2 880 85 62
[email protected]
www.madbrussels.be
BRUSSELS
INVEST & EXPORT
Reinout Van Hullebus
+32 (0)2 800 40 42
[email protected]
www.brusselsinvestexport.be
WBDM
WALLONIE-BRUXELLES
DESIGN MODE
Laure Capitani
Leslie Lombard
Giorgia Morero
+32 (0)2 421 84 42
[email protected]
www.wbdm.be
Milan Office
Francisca Boucher
+39 02 657 14 07
fboucher @bruxelles-milano.it
FLANDERS INVESTMENT & TRADE
www.flandersinvestmentandtrade.be
Milan Office
Marleentje Verstreken
Karin Tolomei
+39 02 29 00 70 80
[email protected]
Belgium is Design
Institutional partners
The Designer of the Year
is an initiative of
46
Partners
47
Partners
Belgium is Design
Belgium is Design
Practical Information
EXHIBITION LOCATION
Accademia di belle Arti di Brera
Sala Napoleonica
Via Brera 28, Milano
OPEN
14 april 2015 / 2:00 pm to 8:30 pm
15 —19 April 2015 / 10:30 am to 8:30 pm
ORGANISATION
Belgium is Design
www.belgiumisdesign.be
COORDINATION
Giorgia Morero
Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode
PRODUCTION
Christian Oosterlinck
Design Vlaanderen
CONCEPT
Dieter Van Den Storm
Bozar
Press Service
PRESS FILES
Download information and high-resolution
images at www.belgiumisdesign.be/press
PRESS CONTACTS
Belgium & international
RCA Group
Vanessa Gohy
[email protected]
Hilde Meus
[email protected]
+32 (0)11 590 590
Italy
Rota&Jorfida | Public Relations
Cristina Rota
[email protected]
+39 02 92 88 55 92
SCENOGRAPHY
Danny Venlet
Mad Brussels
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Ines Cox
www.inescox.com
WEBSITE
Design LOFI STUDIO
www.lofi-studio.com
Programmation INDIANEN
www.indianen.be
WWW. BELGIUMISDESIGN.BE
48
Practical Information
49
Press Service
14.04.2015 —19.04.2015
CONFRONTING
THE MASTERS
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
The ten Designers of the Year
50
Designers of the Year
ALAIN BERTEAU
NEDDA EL-ASMAR
STEFAN SCHÖNING
SYLVAIN WILLENZ
BRAM BOO
NATHALIE DEWEZ
ALAIN GILLES
JEAN-FRANÇOIS D’OR
MARINA BAUTIER
MULLER VAN SEVEREN
51
Designers of the Year