Creatives, it’s that time of the year again. The biggest design event in the Netherlands is returning to Eindhoven next Saturday, 22 October. Under the theme ‘Get Set’, Dutch Design Week (DDW) 2022 will bring together thousands of creative agents who are ‘working on the missions and challenges of tomorrow.’
Taking place over nine days, this year’s festival features a dizzying array of talks, exhibitions and workshops on what designers can do to make the shift from preparation to action. Taking centre stage are conversations about circularity, community and solidarity, with many participants exploring how they can guide our response to the climate crisis. Here, we’ve picked out six unmissable projects and events from the programme, including the special debut of our very own Make it Circular Challenge.
Solar Pavilion
22 – 28 October at Ketelhuisplein
Designed by V8 Architects and WDCD alumni Marjan van Aubel, the Solar Pavilion is a place for visitors to experience the poetic, sensory nature of solar energy. The colourful structure consists of four robust steel masts between which a number of aesthetic solar panels are stretched. Built as the central meeting place of this year’s festival, the pavilion is a testament to just how far solar design has come in recent years, demonstrating that renewable technologies can be as beautiful as they are necessary.
RetroFuture
All week at Evoluon
If you’re looking for something to spark your imagination, look no further. RetroFuture is a new exhibition hosted by Next Nature that asks what changemakers today can learn from ‘yesterday’s visions of the future’. In the futuristic building of the Evoluon, visitors are transported into a playful world of design, art, science and film, featuring works by visionaries like Studio Drift, Audrey Large, Michael Mandiberg and Studio Smack. Expect immersive installations and uncanny visions that will make you think about the future that you truly desire, and the role that fear and wonder can play in the creative process.
Secrid Talent Podium
All week at Klokgebouw
Want to meet the next generation of sustainable product designers? Happening all week at the Klokgebouw, the Secrid Talent Podium will shine a spotlight on eleven promising product designers who are changing the industry from the inside out. The list includes disruptive start-ups in fashion, construction and electronics, like Zeefier, Stonecycling, Sheltersuit and Mapu Speakers. We’re excited to share that Secrid and WDCD are also joining forces to scout and support new talents in this field. If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable innovation, we invite you to check out the live networking event happening on 28 October. You’ll get to see more from this year’s podium participants, learn about Secrid’s own journey towards a zero-carbon footprint, and hear WDCD’s team introduce the brand new Make it Circular Challenge.
The Embassy of Inclusive Society
All week at Van Abbemuseum
DDW 2022 will also feature eight World Design Embassies that explore different themes related to societal challenges like biodiversity, healthcare or food security. One that piqued our interest this year is the Embassy of Inclusive Society, with its urgent yet thoughtful programme of workshops, dialogues and exhibitions. Curator Shay Raviv explains that the Embassy was designed to encourage visitors to unpack how forces of inclusion and exclusion have shaped our society, and engage in ‘a process of learning and unlearning’. Highlights from the week-long exhibition include contributions by social justice initiatives like De Voorkamer, De Afrikaanderwijk Coöperatie and Beelddepot.
A World to Shape
25 October at Natlab
Sit back, relax and get to know the work of Nienke Hoogvliet and Dave Hakkens in this special screening of A World to Shape. This new documentary sheds light on how these two inspired Dutch designers are improving the world in their own inimitable ways. Nienke’s mission is to make the textile industry more sustainable. In the film, you’ll see how she is using seaweed to develop alternative dyes that do not pollute the environment. Dave’s ambition, on the other hand, is to establish a living and working community that generates a minimal carbon footprint. He is building this community in Portugal, where he is developing an open-source blueprint for a new society. To learn more about the story behind this documentary, visitors can also join a panel discussion with filmmaker Ton van Zandvoort and designers Christien Meindertsma, Nienke Hoogvliet, and Josefien van Kooten.
Creative Jam
28 October at SintLucas
What can digital design mean for a circular world? At the SintLucas College in Eindhoven, around a hundred students from various schools in the region will spend the day coming up with ideas and solutions to this question. They will also work on first responses to the Make it Circular Challenge: the newest design competition by WDCD and the IKEA Foundation. They will do so under the guidance of leading digital design agencies and sustainability experts, before pitching their proposals to the audience. If you’d like to follow the activities — or take a stab at the brief yourself — make sure you check out our social media on 22 October to catch live updates from our team on the ground!