Connecting Concepts
The nucleus of Dutch Design is explored in the exhibition Connecting Concepts. The travelling exhibition started its international tour in India, opening in Ahmedabad in February 2011, before moving to Mumbai in June and Bangalore in August. After showing India, the exhibit continues on to China, Turkey and finally The Netherlands. Connecting Concepts penetrates the surface of Dutch design to look at how ideas combine to create not only singular objects but also a singular design culture. Curated by Ed van Hinte for Premsela.
After catapulting to fame and acclaim in the 1990s, Dutch design became a well-known concept around the world. While consumers and industry know design from the Netherlands looks good, many couldn’t say precisely what makes it Dutch. But the design process in this country works in its own way, and the products can provide a deeper cultural understanding of Dutch culture.
The 30 objects in the show have much to say about design concepts, processes and disciplinary cross-pollination in the Netherlands. The sharing of process – through ideas, technology and materials – gives Dutch design its invisible coherence. This same tendency is often confusing to foreign design cultures. By revealing and analysing what makes the Dutch design process tick, Connecting Concepts will help people to better understand Dutch design on the physical and intellectual levels.
The goal of Connecting Concepts is to start a dialogue. Local input in each city will keep it dynamic and relevant. It opens in February in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. By the time it moves south to Bangalore, and eventually China, it will look different. Both the local and Dutch design industries will benefit from a deepened understanding of each other’s processes, and new opportunities for cooperation and collaboration will be created.
Connecting Concepts Ahmedabad
Dates: Wednesday 9–Sunday 27 February (10am–7pm)
Location: National Institute of Design, Paldi, Ahmedabad, India
Connecting Concepts Mumbai
Dates: Monday 8 - Thursday 16 June
Location: ICIA gallery Mumbai
Connecting Concepts Bangalore
Dates: Tuesday 19 to Sunday 31 July
Oficial opening: Saturday 23 July
Location: The Art Complex Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath
For more information, please visit the Premsela website.
