The Design Circle: kneeling at the altar of Amsterdam’s Art Chapel

An exhibition at Amsterdam's modernist Art Chapel paints a sweeping picture of Dutch design today

By
last updated
in Features
The Art Chapel in Amsterdam
Currently on show at the Art Chapel in Amsterdam, ’The Design Circle’ brings together the work of ten Dutch studios and labels
(Image credit: press)

Amsterdam is opening up its inner circle of design with a new, albeit brief, exhibition hosted at the city’s Kunst Kapel (Art Chapel). Conceived by design studio Bernotat & Co and the international design platform Connecting the Dots, ‘The Design Circle’ brings together works by ten design studios and labels including Lensvelt, Kranen/Gille, New Window and Anne-Marie Geurink.

The exhibition design borrows from Charles and Ray Eames’ House of Cards – a playhouse for children made of interlocking cards. To wit, the pieces are presented among large, rectangular panels of honeycomb cardboard, designed to be especially durable and reusable, and with the hopes of finding them a new lease of life once the exhibition has ended.

Jacob Borstlap of Bernotat & Co explains, ‘We didn’t want all the exhibited objects to be seen at a glance, but rather that when you walk through the space, there is always something to discover.’ A tour around the modernist, Lau Peters-designed venue reveals a well-rounded selection that paints a diverse picture of current Dutch design.

Lensvelt is presenting ‘That Chairs’ by Richard Hutten and the entire range of Studio Job’s ‘Office’ series. Meanwhile, New Window is showing works by two designers interested in pattern: ‘A Sequence of Operations’ screen prints by Rogier Arents and ‘Moiré’ jewellery and lights by David Derksen. The show comes full circle with Marleen Kaptein’s (seemingly) delicate carbon fibre chair for Label/Wide, created in collaboration with the National Aerospace Laboratory.

Charles and Ray Eames’ House of Cards

The exhibition design borrows from Charles and Ray Eames’ House of Cards – a playhouse for children made of interlocking cards

(Image credit: press)

Rectangular panels of honeycomb cardboard, designed to be especially durable and reusable

The pieces are presented among large, rectangular panels of honeycomb cardboard, designed to be especially durable and reusable

(Image credit: press)

Colourfull lamps

Lensvelt is presenting ‘That Chairs’ by Richard Hutten and the entire range of Studio Job’s ‘Office’ series (lamps from the collection pictured)

(Image credit: press)

Rogier Arents (left) and ‘Moiré’ jewellery and lights

New Window is showing works by two designers interested in pattern: ‘A Sequence of Operations’ screen prints by Rogier Arents (left) and ‘Moiré’ jewellery and lights by David Derksen

(Image credit: press)

Rogier Arents (left) and ‘Moiré’ jewellery and lights

The exhibition includes pieces by Kranen/Gille, Studio Friso and Anne-Marie Geurink

(Image credit: press)

INFORMATION

’The Design Circle’ runs until 4 October 2015

ADDRESS

Kunst Kapel
Prinses Irenestraat 19
Amsterdam

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS