Taking a look on our cities it seems a bit as if nothing serious had changed since the days Haussmann designed the modern Paris on the drawing table. Public Design still consists of the same elements: park benches, tram stops, trash cans, trees and city greens, playgrounds, water dispensers and many more. Ok… maybe telephone boxes had come later – but these are about to disappear as mobile phones will soon make it obsolete. Anyhow, nothing striking innovative here.

What has increased is the noise of traffic and the bang of blow-ups and citylights (or other forms of advertising). Moreover Continue Reading »

“Cause every reflector does cause actor.”

Easy to miss on the huge Vulkan terrain, a small red brick entrance signposted only with two small lettered mirrors leads into a musty bunker. This is Nicola Richter’s (diploma designer) chosen spot for her installation “The Narcissus makes the Sisyphus”. Continue Reading »

Seit mehr als 20 Jahren vereint SIDI verschiedene kleinere und größere Möbel- und Interior-Designer aus Spanien unter seinem Namen. Dabei stellt SIDI professionelle Infrastruktur bereit, um die Designer national und international auf Messen und Ausstellungen sowie bei Wettbewerben bekannt zu machen. Der einzige außerspanische Sitz, der SIDISPOT, befindet sich in Köln. Neben der ständigen Ausstellung “Best of Spanish interior design” wird zu RHEINDESIGN der arquinfad award vorgestellt. Continue Reading »

Kalle Lasn (founder of the Adbusters magazine) had a lot of luck indeed. It always has been the hard fact that only those will receive the Cologne Thumper that will travel to Cologne to receive it physically. The case of Kalle Lasn was the first renunciation from this iron rule.

For the first time in the year 1996 awarded to Erik Spiekermann, the »Kölner Klopfer« (the German award name) then went to Axel Kufus (1997), to Droog Design (1998), to Anna Castelli Ferrieri (1999), to Motoko Ishii (2000), to John Maeda (2001), to James Auger (2002) and to Heinz Bähr (2005). A lot more were chosen, but did not arrive in Cologne to receive it. So Kalle Lasn can count himself lucky Continue Reading »

One could say that it is not too exciting to visit a design studio that is showcasing its portfolio. Luckywise Mike Meiré was showing around a group from Dornbracht, one of his clients when I entered the premises. So I could witness how entertaining Mr. Meiré is in presenting. One of the managers of Dornbracht even said that he would always »be over the moon« by his demonstrations.

That of course has been amusing to see – and it Continue Reading »

Focussing on the design of public spaces is an exhibition from design students of KISD. »From Vandalism to Fandalism« wants to give answers on the question if the destruction of public objects (like street benches or phone boots) is blind demolition or rather a constructive critique on those objects imposed on public spaces. 8 different projects were set up to explore the subject at a space on the Vulkan estate in Cologne Ehrenfeld.

Guerilla Gardening
»Guerilla Gardening« for example took up the position that so called »nature« often has a destructive impact Continue Reading »

True to the motto “have fun – explore the city – with rheindesign!” the corporate designers of RHEINDESIGN developed a, well, very reduced map. You might find that you have no other option than to explore the city while trying to hunt down the locations of the numbered stars in the nameless grid. No street names, no landmarks, not even the cathedral, but at least the Rhine, surrounded by acres.

The map will give you information on how near or far the events are, but remember to pack a “proper” street map if you don’t know your way around. And don’t forget your umbrella!

A very unusual concert was happening on Rudolfplatz in Cologne: design students of the Köln International School of Design were the musicians in a concert with instruments that usually would rather belong into the category »home appliances«. Instead of playing violine, piano and clarinet, the students operated washing machines (here you can listen to the concert).

The orchestra had a real conductor and a DJ (an exchange student from Brazil) who all mixed the different types of used washing mashines with a background music. Not an easy task and for the spectators it was not easy to find and seize the harmony – but also the work of John Cage was not Continue Reading »

With a huge party Rheindesign was opened on Wednesday night at the KAP Forum in Cologne. More than 1.000 guests joined the program. Surely such an attention makes Managing Director Andreas Grosz very happy: »First we had expected only 400 people – it’s unbelievable that there are so many people here right now that we hardly know how to handle it!« said Grosz.

After the glamourous opening, Rheindesign will now have to prove that its program can transport the focus (that is on the relation between design and society) to a broader audience. Till Sunday there are more than 40 events Continue Reading »

The design ambassadors from Belgium, France and Germany safely arrived at Cologne railway station. Starting in Brussels, on board the Thalys was a lively discussion about the importance and influence of cultural background in design.

Participating in the talk, that was presented by Prof. Dr. Michael Erlhoff, were the designers Matali Crasset (France), Isabell Hamm (Germany), Alain Berteau (Belgium), Tobias Gross (Germany), Xavier Lust (Belgium), Paolo Tumminelli (Germany) and Danny Venlet (Belgium). Brussels is partner city of Rheindesign 2007. Inken Herzig opened the discussion with her warm welcome and some background about the event and the programm that will happen in the next four days.

Here you can find a picture gallery of the design discussion in the train.