Belgian Matters

The event opens a dialogue between designers and manufacturers, trying for once to simplify the creative process, limiting the processes and technologies.

For the Fuorisalone 2016 of Milan, the Litta Palace hosted the exhibition "Belgian Matters", a play on words which combines the literal translation Belgian issues with the savoir faire in the processing of materials in Belgium. The exhibition in Design Vlaanderen Gallery presents all those object that were presented which resulted in coupling unusual thirteen designers with different companies (not necessarily active in the field of design).What unites the different approaches and the diversity of types is the emphasis on the process of realization and mutual learning.
All the works result of the combination between designers and companies that have not traditionally been involved in design. The designers use materials (such as blue limestone, leather or recycled wood) and techniques (such as glass blowing, weaving carpets or enameling) urging different degrees of familiarity between them. While manufacturers, artisans, industrial manufacturers and research centers selected, they are often the first experience to experiment and engage with the design sector. Theirs is a form of redemption: they are not just suppliers of materials or manufacturing systems, but, for once creators of objects.

The partnerships have been forged and supported by Belgium is Design and present a series of ad-hoc products and prototypes that stress confrontations and commonalities between designers and manufacturers, as they work both with their fields of expertise but also outside their normal experiences. Designers use a range of materials (bluestone, leather and wood) or techniques (glass blowing, tapestry and tanning) with different degrees of familiarity.

What links these diverse approaches and mixed typologies (accessories, small objects or furniture) is the emphasis on the creation of each project, the process of making and mutual learning, and the dialogue that has arisen out of these carefully crafted relationships.

It is a matter of connections, from the content to the container: this is the Belgian design, made in Belgium, but definitely geared towards the world and surprisingly free from sectoral boundaries. 

This is one of many events that we will be in the area during the Brussel Design September 2016. It will be displayed untill the 30th September 2016 at the Design Vlaanderen Gallery.

Ben Storns & her glazen huis - Bench/object

Ben glued the tiles togeher into geometries figures. One of the elements of the glass tiles is that they are very rough. It appears as a lamps and a monument. We do not know the border about an object or a sculpture. It seems a beam lying in space as it seems dismaterialized.

Unfold & Materialise - Bowl & side table

It is a dialogue between physical manufacturing and digital design both taking part of the language used by Unfold.  It is inspired by the water tower series by Bernd & Hilla Becher showing an industrial support and the purity of the cristal.

Julien Carretero & Les Carrières de la Pierre Bleue Belge

Julien Carretero realizes tables, lamps and library shelves selecting Belgian Blue Limestone pieces, almost raw, simply split in quarry

Maarten de Ceulaer & Alton - Sundial Chandelier

Maarten devised a light object based on sundials where shadow is as essential as light making a dark rythmic element.

Kaspar Hamacher & tannerie Radermecker - Stool and low chair.

Kaspar's chair is made of a solid bench wood with a brown thin leather with 6-8mm thick. 

 

Julien Renault. Board bench and chair, TimberGroup, 2015

Julien Renault worked with recycled wood to make his board bench and chair.