Isola Design at Dutch Design Week 2023 – Photo by Anwyn Howarth, ©Isola.

Design – Picture This! The theme of Dutch Design Week 2023 envisions a scenario where we persist in our current way of life… What kind of world will unfold in 20, 50, or 100 years? Picture This serves as an imperative summons to confront that image and reverse the course. Designers are on a mission in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. At DDW 2023, they tackle global emergencies and offer tangible solutions to global challenges. Check these eight must-visit destinations!

• RELATED STORIES: Read more about Dutch Design Week on Archipanic.

Kazerne

Paradijslaan 2-8, 11.00-00.00, Map.

Everyday Paradise at DDW 2023 – Photo via IG, follow @lidewijedelkoort.

Kazerne is the most central design destination in Eindhoven. A place where designers meet and share ideas. Make sure to explore the joyful exhibition Everyday Paradise, co-curated by Lili Tedde and Lidewij Edelkoort. Exotic animals, quirky beings and luxurious plants populated a world recalling how beautiful our planet was before we spoiled it. Dutch design duo VANTOT presents a solo exhibition exploring their deeply humane designs that play with how we perceive and interact with light.

Liu by VANTOT – Photo by Roland Smits, courtesy of DDW 2023.

Keep an eye on textile design. EE Labels, one of Europe’s oldest textile companies, presents the WEEEF collection, exploring the possibilities of jacquard weaving and local production for brands, designers and architects, from development to production.

(R)evolutionary Pleats by Fenna van der Klei – Courtesy of DDW 2023.

Inspired by traditional, sartorial pleating techniques, Fenna van der Klei presents a sculptural room divider made without adhesive or hard materials and charged with vibrant colour and relief.

Deign Academy Eindhoven Grad Show

Heuvel shopping centre, Heuvel Galerie 133, 11.00-18.00, Map.

Design Academy Eindhoven Grad Show 2023 – Photo via IG, by Angeline Swinkels @angelineswinkels, follow @designacademyeindhoven.

On the ground floor and the top floor of the Heuvel shopping centre, Design Academy Eindhoven presents more than 200 Bachelor and Master projects by graduates tackling global issues alongside a public programme. The DAE Grad Show is one of the world’s most influential exhibitions of work by new designers.

Van Abbemuseum

Stratumsedijk 2, 11.00-18.00, Map.

The Space Between Us installation at the Van Abbemuseum – Photo by Diana Pfammatter, courtesy of MMK.

At the Van Abbemuseum, The Space Between Us exhibition questions the function of design and the role of the museum. Who or what determines the function of an object? Is a chair still a chair if it is exhibited in a museum? Maker, place and context: they determine the meaning of an object.

Schellens Fabriek

Bleekweg 1M, 11.00-18.00, Map.

Isola Design at DDW 2023 – Photo by Anwyn Howarth, ©Isola.

Schellens Fabriek, a former fabric factory turned into a thriving design hub, hosts the Nothing Happens If Nothing Happens exhibition by the Milan-based platform Isola Design. Visitors can explore various thematic areas, from material research to contemporary trends shaping the industry and sustainable practices contributing to better, more responsible design.

Portray Me by International Creative Women – Image by Ana Carolina de Marco, courtesy of DDW 2023.

The International Creative Women community presents Portray Me. Participants are encouraged to create an imaginary portrait of the other person using the collage technique, with materials prepared in advance.

Câpsula by i29 @ DOMUSDELA

Kanaalstraat 4 binnenplein, 11.00-18.00, Map.

Capsula Soft Lodge by i29 – Photo by i29 and Plotvis.

What’s the minimum amount of space we need to thrive? How can architectural solutions contribute to enhancing the quality of life? Dutch architecture studio i29 presents Câpsula, a tiny home prototype with wellness and a design-led approach. The concept cabins are a flexible answer to our modern-day needs for fewer options, with excellent choices made for us.

Station area

Multiple locations.

The Many Tree Installation by Studio JNBR – Courtesy of DDW 2023.

You can find the design week’s ticket office at Eindhoven’s train station [Stationsplein 17, Map]. Just outside the building, arboreal architect Josh Russo-Batterham explores a new typology for urban greenery. The half-built and half-grown installation prompts us to think differently about how to use and value greenery in our cities and challenges us with a question: what if we could ‘build’ trees?

Dutch Invertuals at Dutch Design Week 2023 – Photo by Barbara Medo, courtesy of DDW 2023.

Design platform Dutch Invertuals tasked designers to craft experiences re-establishing a deep connection to our physical reality within a technology-infused society where data alter every aspect of our lives.

AI Designed A Chair by Juul van den Heuvel – Courtesy of DDW 2023.

Explore multiple installations at Design Perron [Fuutlaan 12, 11.00-18.00, Map]. How can Artificial Intelligence be used in a creative process? Juul van den Heuvel explored AI power through chair design in an era of rapid technological evolution. For the Icons/Re-outfitted exhibition, The Visionary Lab teamed up with Vitra and Levi’s® to upcycle iconic chairs with discarded denim, inviting you to take a seat and rethink waste.

Trunk Chair at the Icons Re: Outfitted exhibition by The Visionary Lab with Vitra and Levi’s – Photo by Rob van der Vet, courtesy of DDW 2023.

Transnatural platform and collective presents the latest art and design works at Spoor K [Studio #3 & 13, Fuutlaan 14K, 10.00-18.00, Map]. Highlights include a tinted mirror with an organically shaped frame made of soft tufted sustainable yarn by Alfhild Külper.

Pure Morning Portal by Alfhild Kulper – Courtesy of Transnatural.

Not far, at The Radical City Inc. exhibition, artists, designers and architects challenge conservative notions of city life and explore different routes to a new, future-oriented urban landscape. Curated by Transnatural.

Piet Hein Eek @ Strip T+R

Halvemaanstraat 30, 10.00-19.30, Map.

Kaori to Kioku at Dutch Design Week 2023 – Courtesy of DDW 2023.

Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek opened his studio and factory to give visibility to new circular economy-driven collections by up-and-coming brands and designers. Dutch-Japanese brand Kaori to Kioku presents incense holders, some with botanical motifs using 100-year-old moulds and 100% natural, as well as plant-based botanical incense sticks.

Eilamp by Ruben de Haas – Courtesy of DDW 2023.

As a fan of Droog Design, Ruben de Haas created a simple and fun lamp. These unique lightbulbs are surprisingly beautiful and interesting due to the imperfections of the eggshells. IKONIC presents new objects by Floris Hovers, focusing on wonder, simplicity and colour.

Canal district

Multiple locations.

Kiki and Joost at Dutch Design Week 2023 – Courtesy of DDW 2023.

Kiki and Joost present the Perpetuum Mobile exhibition in their workshop, operating as a living, breathing entity [Gabriël Metsulaan 1 – entrance Kanaaldijk Zuid, 11.00-18.00, Map]. It embodies the essence of perpetual motion, a captivating symphony where ideas flow, ideas transform, and the creative energy propels their endeavours forward.

Lichtspiel by Zalán Szakács – Photo by Nick Bookelaar, courtesy of DDW 2023.

At Koelhuis Eindhoven [Dirk Boutslaan 1, 11.00-18.00, Map], Zalán Szakács invites you to descend into the basement to experience the Lichtspiel installation, interweaving narratives of the past and the present through an interplay between light, haze, and sound.

Ikonic at Dutch Design Week 2023 – Courtesy of DDW 2023.

EE Label at DDW 2023 – Photo by De Fotomeneer.