The International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) shows objects of the Belgian designer Charles Kaisin. Subject is “the usage of recycled materials in modern design objects.”

Since 40 years the IDC offers a platform, where design experts, companies and an interested audience can communicate. More than 500 exhibitions, conferences, seminares and workshops have so far been shown. In connection to the creative cities exchange “BRU VIA BERLIN” between the two cultural metropolises Berlin and Brussels, IDZ Berlin shows design from the Belgian capital region, or more precisely, of designer Charles Kaisin.

Themed “Bewegung and Recycling” (Movement and Recycling) 30 works of Kaisin are presented on rotating sockets – supplemented by the 90 metres long bench “K-Bench”, that was primarily planned for the Museum of Modern Art in Luxemburg (MUDAM).

Door windows to bowls

Central topic are objects made of recycling stuff: a door window of a washing machine is transformed into a salad bowl, old bottles get a second chance as drinking cups and old plastic bags utterly become fashion. With his recycling objects, Kaisin wants to show “a new perspective for the becoming and decay of products.”

To which extent bags, sticked newspapers and dismounted washing machines can lead to serious solutions for sustainability is quite clear: to none. The idea of putting trash to fashy stuff like Freitag bags or else is not so new and more a romantic idea of “trash transformation”. Also the word “movement” in the exhibiton title sounds a bit vague in my ears. Anyhow it could be a nice entertainment for the general public and a place to meet for a small design talk.

The exhibition is open till November 7th. More information on the website of the IDZ.