“Paradoxically, Eindhoven isn’t much to look at, which perhaps is part of its appeal.” American Craft Council took a good look at the city of Eindhoven, as a preparation for the Dutch Design Week. Here are some of the key findings of their reporter Diane Daniel. Read the whole story here.
About its history:
“The manufacturing giant Philips was responsible for the original growth, and ultimate decline, of Eindhoven. The company started in 1891 and built sprawling factories, employee housing, cultural institutions, and even a soccer stadium. (…) Since the exodus, Eindhoven has been thoughtfully reinventing itself as a global hub for technology and design.”
About the Dutch Design Week:
What started in Eindhoven as a daylong event is now the nineday Dutch Design Week (this year Oct. 17 – 25), featuring exhibitions, lectures, and pop-up shops and restaurants at dozens of locations around the city, with free transportation offered in Volvos topped with objets d’art. Also during the week, many Eindhoven-based studios open their doors to the public. A popular destination is the academy’s graduation show, which last year displayed some 150 social, industrial, or functional projects ranging from a play mat for visually impaired babies to vessels made of microbes, with students often on hand to discuss their designs.
“At Design Week, you’ll find finished and experimental projects,” says Guus Kusters. He and his partner serve as art directors for a large exhibition in the Klokgebouw, selecting participants and designing the venue. Comparing the event to the more famous Milan Design Week, Kusters says, “People like to say that the paint is still wet here, and then you see the more polished version in Milan. In Eindhoven, you get an insiders’ view.”