Dutch Design Week, Netherlands
The fifteenth edition of Dutch Design Week took place in Eindhoven on 21st – 29th October and was a catalyst for a host of creative and daring installations including some where light was the focal point.
Eindhoven manifested itself as the centre of design and the future showcasing work of 2,500 designers during the nine days of Dutch Design Week (DDW) held in October. Their ideas and solutions gave visitors a new perspective on current topics and issues, as well as making DDW an event with global impact. Due to the comprehensive programme of talks, debates and live music, visitors were able to reminisce long after the closing of the exhibitions. The event attracted an estimated record number of 295,000 visitors.
Under the banner of the theme ‘The making of’, this year’s edition focused on the making process and the makers. The event showed a lot of work from renowned designers, but also, like every year, allowed young talent and the experimental to thrive. This took place in more than 430 curated exhibitions and presentations spread across 100 locations in the city.
Fittingly Philips Lighting, based in Eindhoven, presented two creative LED lighting installations as part of the festival. Both lighting installations are part of the ESCAPE – embracing the freedom of beauty exhibition at Kazerne gallery and creative hub in Eindhoven on display until February 2017.
Light Forest combines sculptural lighting effects directly into a uniquely detailed wall surface. Designed by Amsterdam- based design firm BCXSY using the Philips Luminous Patterns product system, the lighting installation explores how we will free ourselves of the traditional concepts of ‘light fixtures’ and instead embed lighting directly into the walls and ceilings that surround us. The dynamic programming of the light patterns replicates the soothing experience of cascading patterns of light in a forest.
Lightfall is the latest in a series of lighting installations created by Paul Thursfield, Head of Service Design at Philips Lighting Design and Simon Rycroft, Senior Strategic Designer at Philips Lighting that explore generative and interactive light and sound as part of their research into new light experiences. Lightfall is a cascade of light triggered by people who dip their hands into the pool of light at the centre of the pavilion. The unique light and sound signature is generated based on the parameters programmed by the artist and sensor inputs from people in the pavilion. The pavilion is constructed from a circular curtain of Philips Color Kinetics LED lights.
“LED technology allows us to radically rethink the way we construct and interact with architectural lighting. We’re thrilled to exhibit two pieces as part of Dutch Design Week that explore the beautiful possibilities of using light in new and innovative ways,’’ said Pierre-Yves Panis, Head of Design for Philips Lighting.
Also on display at Kazerne but just for the duration of DDW was Vapour light by Studio Thier & van Daalen, a series of lighting elements as waving luminous vapour that can vary in shape, colour and intensity.
The irregular shape found its origin by the artists’ fascination for movement of structures in nature and the contrast between straight and organic shapes – the way a flower blooms, how beautifully vapour disperses in the air or the hypnotising effect of rolling water.
These movements were translated into a series of light objects, that take on a surprising appearance. Gracefully, it may take different forms and curves by pulling or twisting the flexible outer shell.
By doing this, the shape can be manipulated. The subtle emission of light appears on the pattern of the luminous bar. The flexible outer shell absorbs the light and glows out on its surrounding as a decorative lighting solution.
The initial series consists of two colours and two sizes, both in a horizontal and vertical version. The transparent shell has a soft appearance like vapour, whereas the black version has a more graphical identity.
LED light is implemented in an in-house developed light fixture. It is possible to change the intensity of light with the use of a dimmer.
The colour temperature can be changed into warmer or colder light on request.
