Following the success of the inaugural Antenna Conference, the exhibition is back for the second year in a row. Curated by Design Indaba and Dutch Design Foundation, the Antenna Exhibition will showcase a selection of the world’s most promising graduates during Dutch Design Week. An inspiring mix of innovative and groundbreaking ideas will be presented by the talents.
As in the case of the Antenna Conference, the aim of the exhibition is to offer young designers multiple platforms to share their work to a wider audience and allow them to access networking opportunities. The selected projects focus on generating a positive impact on the world and cover a wide range of design disciplines.
We highlighted a few designers. A complete overview of the projects can be found on here.
Thom Bindels
Thom Bindels, graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven, looks at how he can problem-solve using his own designs. His project, Ecosystem Kickstarter, looks at ways to improve communities and natural ecosystems by restoring landscapes in a sustainable way.
In this project, Bindels uses a foldable structure made from biodegradable cardboard fibres, which are applied to a slope, and filled with local soil to function as a terracing structure. Inside the product are both pioneer seeds and nutrients added during the production process. The rooting systems have time to develop due to the short-term protection of the biodegradable structure in the vulnerable phase of vegetation development.
“When there is a sufficient rooting system, the cardboard decomposes and adds carbon to the soil. The anti-erosion function will be taken over by the new vegetation, improving water infiltration and soil structure to help the ecosystem get over the ecological threshold,” explains Bindels.
Zana Masombuka
Stellenbosch University and the university of the underground graduate, Zana Masombuka will be exhibiting artwork that looks at the Eastern and African Chakra systems and how those are paralleled with the notion of abundant thinking.
The art director will be unpacking the African narrative, and the way the stories are written about the continent and its people. For her talk, Masombuka will be presenting Ndebele Superhero, a photo series which aims to preserve traditional stories from the Ndebele tribe, and sparks conversations about how it has been incorporated into the modern world.
Katie Brown
Katie Brown is a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. Her project looks at the future of hearing aids. Her aim is to challenge the stigma that surrounds the use of a hearing aid. More importantly, she takes a look at how it can be redesigned in a more user-friendly manner.
In her research, Brown looks at how the design of hearing aids can better represent the identity of the wearer, and what role design plays in challenging the stigma associated with hearing aids and hearing loss.
“The research aims to understand the different social and cultural relationships that exist, and their link to hearing aids. It will involve the experiences and perspectives of wearers, non-wearers, healthcare professionals and manufacturers of hearing aids,” explains Brown.
Garrett Benisch
Pratt University graduate Garrett Benisch discovered that New York City processes 1.3 billion gallons of sewage every day. This sewage is treated using micro-organisms, which in turn convert the waste into biosolids. While the city used these biosolids to enrich the soils of the city, now 2.8 million pounds of this make their way straight to a landfill every day.
Benisch recognised that these biosolids could be used in a useful and sustainable manner. He thus created Sum Waste, a pen whose barrel and ink are both made from treated biosolids. Benisch worked together with the New York Department of Environmental Protection and an independent polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA, producer, to create this product.
The young designer believes that this project can create a relationship between New York’s waste management and the citizens of the city.
Dutch Design Week
DDW takes place in Eindhoven from October 19 till 27. The Antenna Exhibition is located at the heart of DDW; Klokgebouw Strijp-S. The exhibition is open daily from 11am till 6pm.
The Antenna Conference takes place on Monday 21 October in Parktheater from 10am till 15pm. During the conference, 20 carefully selected young talents will present their emerging work on stage. After the conference there’s the opportunity to meet the Antenna’s and use the moment to network with them and the audience.
Ticket information
A Dutch Design Week ticket is needed to visit the exhibition in Klokgebouw. Tickets for DDW can be purchased here. A DDW ticket gives access to all locations and is valid for 9 days. To join the Antenna Conference, you can purchase your ticket here. This ticket gives access to the conference and includes a healthy lunch and drinks.