Dutch design week gets a makeover
This month sees the return of Dutch Design Week (DDW), now in its 12th annual outing, but with a few added extras this year.
Celebrating the dozen design weeks, in its usual location of Eindhoven, the event opens to international exhibitors for the first time since launching in 2001. DDW organisers will also be collaborating with outside companies, including OiD (Organisation in Design).
OiD has taken over the art direction of the Klokgebouw building - the heart of the show - and introducing some major changes. There will be a change in the design week's structure as the central building becomes a display named Ode to the City - showcasing Eindhoven's own design talent. There are also plans for special presentations by individual designers and design-related labels and institutions.
The inclusion of Taiwanese design is an indication of the wider international field Dutch Design Week is now appealing to, and should give this year's DDW a wider context in which to showcase Dutch design.
The growth in international attention Dutch Design Week is getting is indicated in last year's attendance figures: of the 20,000 visitors, nine per cent was from abroad, while 40 per cent of the 350 press members were from foreign publications.
Words by Emily Black
