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Having spent his formative years interning for Jean Nouvel, Belgian designer Charles Kaisin has not struggled to make himself heard in the world of design. Now a celebrated name in his own right, Kaisin will this month host a seminal retrospective of work in his native Belgium.

Best known for his K bench – a sandwich of honeycomb plastic, which concertinas into a surprisingly sturdy seating consol – Kaisin’s creative agenda extends into every facet of interior design

With handbags and clothes made from disposable carriers, Hairy Chairs made from shredded recycled newspaper and indeed a newspaper version of the K bench, Kaisin’s lighthearted approach manages to avoid pushing the sustainability pencil.

Set around themes of Motion and recycling, the exhibition, Design in Motion, will this month take residence in the historic Grand-Hornu building near Mons, an extension of which Kaisin helped redesign last year.

In a bid to compliment Kaisin’s extensive retrospective, the 650 m sq space itself will be transformed, with an installation from Spanish designer Terre Recarens.

The installation - Termoto (or ‘earthquake’) - will consist of a wooden lathwork floor spread across the space, which, when walked upon, will set all structures on its surface swinging pendulously – creating an interactive yet rather precarious showcase for Kaisin’s work.

Featuring everything from handbags to chairs and tables to watches, Design in Motion offers a one-off opportunity to take in the breadth of Kaisin’s past ten years in design.

ADDRESS

Grand-Hornu Images
Rue Ste Louise 82
7301 Hornu
Belgium

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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.