Dutch Design Week 2022 will be held from October 22–30, in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It will feature Dutch Solar Designer Marjan van Aubel, showcasing the theme Get Set
Get Set for Sustainability – Dutch Design Week 2022
Over 2,600 designers and creatives will gather in Eindhoven for Dutch Design Week, which holds the honor of the largest design event in Northern Europe. This year’s theme is Get Set, which focuses on a shift in ways of thinking, to develop products that stimulate change. Newly appointed Creative Head, Miriam van der Lubbe took the reins of DDW from successor Martijn Paulen. This will be her first year in charge of the fair. Celebrating artists is a focal point of Dutch Design Week, and every year they choose one designer to be the ambassador. This year’s ambassador is Dutch Solar Designer Marjan van Aubel.
The events take place across one-hundred and ten locations in Eindhoven. Visitors can partake in lectures, prizes, networking events, debates, and marvel at exhibitions. Among all the offerings of the event, DDW shines a spotlight on experiment and innovation – young talents. The fair focuses on design of the future and the future of design. They strive to show how designers from around the globe can shape our future for the better and strengthen the position of Dutch designers.
The first Dutch Design Week began in 1998, with the goal of introducing entrepreneurs to designers. In 2022, the organizational team of DDW strongly believes in designers’ ability to be problem solvers. DDW is a hub for innovation that our ever-changing world craves.
Dutch Design week has three pillars they strive to meet
The organization pushes Dutch design through a light shining brightly on a leading international stage. With over 400k visitors annually, DDW serves as a springboard for young designers looking to make their mark. With the platform, the organization offers designers opportunities with media and other sectors, such as publicity and network expansion. Nurturing talent is something that’s fundamental for growing the Dutch design scene internationally. DDW encourages and backs up the new generation of talent.
New Woman in Power
Miriam van der Lubbe is no stranger to Dutch design. She began studying in Helsinki, eventually continuing her studies at universities and academies in The Netherlands. In 1998, Miriam launched her design studio Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe with Niels van Eijk. Today, Miriam holds several positions throughout the international design field and was a co-founder of DDW twenty years ago. Miriam is famous for collaborating with different people and cultures, from corporate world to government and cultural organizations, with the hopes to make a connection within the design community.
Intrinsic Thinkers
The ambassador for Dutch Design Week 2022 Marjan van Aubel thinks Dutch design and aesthetic is unlike anything else in the world. They were taught to question everything in school, she believes. Marjan explains her critical thinking skills were developed from a young age which later helped her establish her own aesthetic as a Solar Designer.
Dutch Design Week aims to show that Dutch design isn’t a label for a group of people or a titled aesthetic, but it’s a reflection of attitudes and cultures that characterizes the Netherlands and the Dutch people. Marjan reiterated the fact that Dutch tend to use solution-oriented approach, functionality, free thinking, with a dash of humor to put things into perspective. Dutch design is a mood and approach.
Ready, Get Set, Go
Working in unison and forming alliances are crucial for preparing and recognizing what is currently happening around us and how we must react. Get Set is about getting involved, springing into action. The organizers of DDW are not only inviting, but urging designers, visitors, anyone interested to explore the potentials of our future in the direction of continuous evolution, especially when concerning sustainability. All attempts are welcome.
The Sun and Design Have Lots in Common
It’s thanks to Marjan’s graduation project that lit up her interest in Solar Design. She began to see objects as small power stations and further developed it, then kept going on and on. «It’s a nice thing and there is much to explore» exclaimed van Aubel. She felt there was a need for her in this type of design and feels there’s more of a purpose.
One doesn’t come across a Solar Designer every day. When asked what exactly is a Solar Designer, Marjan explains the concept of an object or building that’s generating energy, but «where does the energy come from», she states from there is when you design with energy, it’s about bringing solar energy into daily life. Solar cell technology is accessible and can be applied to almost any kind of surface, she believes. In short, she is a designer who uses energy from the sun to bring it into people’s homes in the form of art.
Marjan as ambassador for Dutch Design Week 2022
One of Marjan’s goals as this year’s ambassador is to facilitate the transition from Solar Technology to Solar Design and show how Solar Design is a discipline that other designers can study and spark their own curiosity on the topic. «I want to show others what it is, show solar as a material along with clay or glass for example, we really should start seeing solar as a material», claims van Aubel.
Since there isn’t much study material available regarding Solar Design, being the innovative Dutch that she is, Marjan wrote a book that hits shelves on September 8th, titled Solar Futures. Her book is divided in 3 parts. They all contain topics like describing why solar panels are the way they are, how we design with the sun, what is the current state of the transition from Solar Tech to Design and finally, the future of emerging technologies. Marjan stresses that the sun is there, it is free and yet we take it for granted.
Discover the Sunne at Dutch Design Week
Amongst the various exhibitions and installations, Marjan will be presenting Sunne, one of her most well-known works. Sunne is a self-powered solar light that captures, stores, and replicates light inside. It has three settings to reflect the light from the sun, which are Sunne rise, Sunne set, and Sunne light. In the morning, it harvests energy from the sun as it hangs by the window. By night, it delivers sunlight into space.
Sunne will naturally manifest energy from the sun when placed in front of a window. It will store it in a special battery. To further immerse the senses, Marjan researched the sounds of the sun by NASA and while visiting Sunne, spectators can also listen to the sun’s various sounds. This installation captures the moments of the sun that for Marjan, are magical moments that come and go every day. Her goal was to grasp this moment, keep it, and turn it into something never seen before.
The Future of Solar Design
Marjan wants to leave visitors with a feeling of positivity and curiosity. We all know our planet is dying. She wants visitors to let go for a minute and feel a bit of hope, «otherwise, what’s the point?». She believes the design world is currently moving at a different pace when it comes to sustainability. In her eyes, there should be no waste and everything at this point should be circular. Marjan explains how it’s sometimes difficult working with certain materials. She hopes to work with the industry to go past the surface problems and dig deeper. «We have to collaborate and learn about processes instead of fixing the bits on the top, while the pieces below still have a way to go». states Marjan.
She is most excited about «getting to learn about the people that I don’t know yet» this year. She is hoping to connect with others and set aligned goals, learn from one another in a way that’s reciprocal.
Dutch Design Week
Dutch Design Week is celebrated over nine days, from 22–30 October in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The festivities will take place over various locations and will consist of lectures, debates, awards, events, and of course, exhibitions. Get Set focuses on evolving designers’ way of thinking to develop pieces and works that bring change.
