Curated by Design Indaba, antenna will gather some of the world’s most cutting-edge graduates in one place, Eindhoven, on 22 October. Following the success of the inaugural conference last year, we’ve decided to take it a step further. While 20 student designers take to the stage to unpack their future-proofing ideas, an exhibition will be held in tandem at the Veemgebouw, Strijp S Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week between 20 and 28 October 2018. Here are three of the talents who will exhibit their work alongside a few of antenna 2018’s speakers. Like the conference, the aim of the exhibition is to present projects that change the world of tomorrow.
Prajne: A tribute to ancient artefacts and the handmade
Created by Sneha Suresh of the Srishti Institute of Art in India, ‘Prajne: A tribute to ancient artefacts and the handmade’ preserves and pays tribute to forgotten artefacts and the handmade while celebrating the old. Through this body of work, Suresh, a visual communications student gives new life to ancient artefacts and the narratives associated with them. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the Netherlands but, by taking advantage of a loophole in a freedom of the press law, refugees are allowed to sell printed goods in a public space. In a project called Printed Matters, the Dutch designer created portraits of refugees who then sell their prints, blurring the lines of labour and art.
From Nowhere, With Love
Olga Zelenska from the School of Form in Ukraine will exhibit a project called From Nowhere, With Love. The project is comprised of a series of postcards, each containing a plant seed. Using traditional papercraft methods, Zelenska created biodegradable postcards. One can take them on a journey, settle down in a new location and put them in the ground to give life to plants brought from one’s home country. The project asks: “Will the closeness of familiar nature help support the emotional relationship with the motherland?”
Xeniteia
Designed by Alexandros Skouras from University Of Illinois at Chicago School Of Design, Xeniteia, Or A Temporary Displacement revolves around the notion of Xeniteia, a Greek word meaning ‘to be away from home on foreign lands.’ It makes public a collection of private archives in an attempt to combine questions about immigration with forms of documentation and performance, inviting the viewer to connect with the other through an archival experience.
Antenna aims to take these young designers to the next phase of their careers by exposing them to experts and professionals in the antenna network. The programme, above and beyond their presentations, will work to expand their skills and networks, opening up a range of future opportunities. Like the antennae of the natural world, antenna aims to intuitively spot and react to the subtle signs in the world around us. The second edition of antenna will take place at World Design Event during Dutch Design Week on 22 October. The rest of the antenna line-up will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets are on sale now.