Design September Brussels

Brussels Design Septemberis a vibrant event that powers over 100 cultural and commercial events events in Brussels. We were invited for a press meeting and several shows around the city and really enjoyed the curatorial selection and the company of event's curator Delphine Vercauteren. 'For a month, the city will become the meeting platform for many Belgian designers and include also many international designers. For its ninth year, the festival will continue to showcase design’s various applications and multidisciplinary relationship through design: furniture, architecture, graphics, textile… A wide range of quality events offered by many independent associations and organisations will add to the cultural component of Design September; exhibitions, conferences, a design market, a Pecha Kucha, visits of studios of Brussels-based designers, … Like every year, a large number of emerging creators will be taking part in this urban circuit. Throughout the month, participating stores, pop-up stores and iconic design flagship stores will stage a brand and/or a designer and its new products in a particular fashion.' Here is a selection of things to see in Brussels this month complied by CO: #1 The Power of Object(s), Design Bestsellers in Belgium. 04. 09 > 11.01 Espace Culturel ING – Mont des Arts Place Royale 6, B1000 Mon – Sun 10am – 6pm (wed 9pm) +32 (0) 2 547 22 92 www.madbrussels.be The exhibition explores the work of 25 leading Belgian designers, whose objects are presented from somewhat unexpected angles: I - MOST ICONIC OBJECT The designer’s most publicised and/or signature item. The object that most encapsulates his/her work. € - MOST ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL OBJECT The one that has proved the most personally profitable. This is the object on which the designer established his or her caress, or took it to the next level. # - BESTSELLING DESIGN From the commercial point of view, a good product is first and foremost one that sells. And it’s clear from those sales figures that the design has now become accessible to everyone. Work by: Marina Bautier - Alain Berteau - Big Game - Bram Boo - Jean-François D'Or - Nathalie Dewez - Anthony Duffeleer - Nedda El-Asmar - Axel Enthoven - Alain Gilles - Davy Grosemans - Vincent Jalet - Charles Kaisin - Bart Lens - Xavier Lust - Christa Reniers - Stefan Schöning - Diane Steverlynck - Piet Stockmans - Maarten Van Severen - Danny Venlet - Luc Vincent - Sylvain Willenz - Drik Wynants - Michael Young Installation by Christa Reniers Work by Nedda El-Asmar #2 Lucie Koldova at Diito Gallery 09.09 > 30.09 Diito Rue de l’Aurore 62, B1000 +32 (0) 2 646 16 10 Tue – Sat 10.30am – 6.30pm www.luciekoldova.com www.diito.be We really enjoyed the fresh colourful work and the unusual combinations of materials and forms by Czech designer Lucie Koldová and Diito Gallery: 'She presents the exclusive selection of designer's crucial projects designed during past ten years. 
From the impressive amount of projects the author has picked one product for one year which was groundbreaking for her approach and career.
The unique collection demonstrates designer's intense unorthodox sense for the material, proportions and form and the capability to view design from different angles.' Lucie Koldova giving a small presentation of her work   #3 La Chance @ Patterns 09.09 > 30.09 Rue Américaine 40, B1050 Tue – Sat 10.30am – 6.30pm +32 (0) 473 51 62 72 www.patterns-bxl.com PATTERNS is a new delightful design store. We have found not only some exquisite objects, but really liked the way they were curated and presented. 'Our goal is to offer an eclectic choice by the mixing of the styles in a moved, elegant and honorable spirit through singular objects and a quality vintage selection Around renewed themes, PATTERNS makes every effort to select projects for their Originality, their quality of manufacturing and their strong identity Choices dictated by the story that tells us these objects and their designers, their creative approach and their sensibility.' #4 Cruso & Jean-François D'Or 09.09 > 30.09 Bar à Tapas Waterloosesteenweg 412a, B1050 Tue – Sat 11am – 7pm +32 (0) 478 66 58 66 www.cruso.com 'Cruso is a brand that brings together the designer’s world and the artisan’s passion, offering furniture made from noble, environmentally-friendly materials. For its first edition, Cruso will be working with Jean-François D’Or, former student at La Cambre, 2013 Designer of the Year and famous reference in the world of Belgian design.' Events we haven't had a chance to visit, but would like to mention: Objection OBJECTION 01_MATERIAL UNKNOWN 06.09 > 28.09 Objection (Charlotte Dumoncel d’Argence & Julien Carretero) Rue de la Tulipe 8, B1050 Sat – Sun 11am – 6pm +32 (0) 497 53 89 09 www.charlottedumonceldargence.com www.juliencarretero.com 'In 1969, designer Joe Colombo decided to position himself against consumerism and stopped producing goods for the sake of contributing to capitalism. He founded the antidesign movement, as a new look upon the production of objects, in opposition to the design as an elitist symbol. To illustrate his vision, he designed an apartment in Milan, set as a living experiment: the Habitat Futuribile. At this occasion, the prestigious Italian magazine Domus published an article entitled «Casa V.I.P. per un V.I.P.» partly written by Colombo himself. The latter, conscious of the power of medias to diffuse his ideas, decided to build his project in diverse shades of pink, knowing that this color would provide a richer palette of greys once published in the black and white magazine. This project can be considered as one of the first example of media manipulation in the design field.
 Thirty years later, the development of 3d modeling softwares and of the Internet enables young and unknown designer Ora-Ito to conceive uncommissioned products for prestigious brands. Advertising them with 3D renderings, he managed to get his non-existing products published in magazines. They became viral online and reached such an audience, that major brands including the ones he had hacked offered him to collaborate. 01_ MATERIAL: UNKNOWN features a selection of 3D renderings published on design blogs over the last six months. At the time these projects were published, none of them had been produced. It questions what brings designers to communicate on projects that are still immaterial. Whether it is to raise funds, to provoke the interest from potential consumers or even out of narcissism, the projects presented illustrate these various motivations.
From relevant ideas and prospective concepts to unproduceable absurdities, this exhibition offers a panorama of virtual design production. The low-resolution images of these projects found online are scaled up to their supposed real size and printed on tracing paper. Through this process, they lose the sleek and flawless appearance of 3D renderings and gain a position in space.
In addition, the presentation includes a selection of articles that confronts different opinions to the subject of virtual products; extracted from international publications spanning over the last 10 years. They provide a background overview on the growing importance of virtual design in communication, production and consumption.' House Sweet House by Ron Gilad @ Keitelman Gallery 12.09 > 31.10 Keitelman Gallery Rue Van Eyck 44, B1000 Tue – Sat 12pm – 6pm +32 (0) 511 35 80 www.keitelmangallery.com Utopia 12.09 > 28.09 Recyclart Rue des Ursulines 21, B1000 Tue – Fri 2pm – 6pm (16.09 & 17.09 > 11pm) Weekend 11am > 6am www.recyclart.be delphinedenereaz.tumblr.com "Entfaltung" - Folding 'Lines and spaces are communicated and delineated via the simple act of folding. The course of the colours on the inside of the motif is created through free hand movements. Emerging depths and forms produce graphical intricacies. Entfaltung evokes something that folds, unfolds, develops, builds and operates ... The word undertakes technical and poetic notions. Delphine Dénéreaz: "Sports d’Hiver au Mont Serein" Household objects inspired by a souvenir collection, gathered in the vicinity of tourist sites, symbolic witnesses and stereotypes of a passage to the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Alpe D'Huez. I re-appropriate the graphic organization of postcards or ceramic plates in tablecloths, rugs or blankets, by playing with and mixing shapes and scales. With humor, I bring idyllic landscapes and dream destinations into our everyday life.'