Hands on Design — 8e Triennale du Design

Exhibition

Design

Hands on Design
8e Triennale du Design

Past: November 19, 2016 → March 5, 2017

Hands on Design, the 8th triennial of design, focuses on high-quality craftsmanship and shows this in more than 70 contemporary objects.

That high-quality craftsmanship is present in every object, yet often it remains invisible. Glenn Adamson, author of Craft Thinking, believes this is because we still see craftsmanship as having a supporting role, whereas without craftsmanship there can be no added value. In Hands on Design, curator Johan Valcke makes that supporting role, the invisible aspect, visible.

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Hands on Design focuses on high-quality craftsmanship and shows this in more than 70 contemporary objects. That high-quality craftsmanship is present in every object, yet often it remains invisible. Glenn Adamson, author of Craft Thinking, believes this is because we still see craftsmanship as having a supporting role, whereas without craftsmanship there can be no added value. In Hands on Design, curator Johan Valcke makes that supporting role, the invisible aspect, visible.

Van vossel bijzettafel hands on design medium
James Van Vossel, Table d’appoint pour Thonet

That invisible aspect is the preliminary process, from drawing and computer model to prototype and end product. The human touch is involved in nearly every stage of this process, from the most unassuming basic handiwork to virtuoso craftsmanship. That craftsmanship is reflected not only in the design process and in the knowledge of traditional techniques, but just as much in the control and operation of the machinery used to make the products. In many cases, that knowledge is not found in books, but is the result of a learning process generated by handling materials and tools. Sociologist Richard Sennett calls it ‘embodied knowledge’, which lies in the intuitive interaction between body and mind. It is reflected in the workmanship and production of everyday functional objects, but is at its best when it pushes boundaries under the impulse of materials, tools and machines. At that stage, the creativity of designer and entrepreneur reaches a peak.

Maarten de ceulaer sundial chandelier by teri romkey hands on design original medium
Maarten De Ceulaer et Alton, Luminaire pour Niluphar Gallery

Our focus in the exhibition will be on functional objects. What catches the eye is the return to objects made in natural materials such as stone, wood, glass, leather, ceramic, bronze, etc., using old traditional techniques as well as new technologies. Both are applied without distinction in order to arrive not only at an innovative design product, but also an economically viable product. In actual fact, the new technologies allow a return to the concept of traditional craft production.

The exhibition encompasses a historical part with objects from the collection of Design Museum Ghent, and a contemporary part bringing together works by designers who work on their own account, designers who work for businesses, start-up design studios, seven fuse projects of designers and businesses coached by Fedustria, and the projects of Belgian Matters.

Design Museum Gent Museum
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Jan Breydelstraat 5,

9000 Gent, Belgique

www.designmuseumgent.be

Opening hours

Monday & Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday & Sunday, 10 AM – 6 PM

Admission fee

Full rate €10.00
Free for visitors under 19, € 2 for visitors under 26