Belgium is Design: Perspectives

At the Triennale, an exhibition surveys the current landscape of Belgian design, bringing together the regions of Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia.

Transcending different language and cultural differences within Belgium, the Perspectives exhibition at the Triennale surveys contemporary Belgian design, presenting works by designers from the regions of Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia. A joint effort of the country's design organizations and promoters, the exhibition seeks to present the diverse kinds of work currently developed by Belgian designers.

The exhibition explores five different threads: industrial design, self-produced design (the designer as a craftsman), design art (one-off series), social design, and open design (open source, rapid prototyping).

The diversity is apparent, from the Nomad solar lamp — a plastic and LED portable lamp devised by Alain Gilles for both developed and developing countries which is currently initiating production —, to Kaspar Hamacher's Stein no.1 and Maarten de Ceulaer Mutation sofa, both one off pieces exploring sophisticated craftsmanship and technological innovation. Among the pieces on display are also Thomas Lommée and Jesse Howard's OS Waterboiler, an open source waterboiler devised with the OpenStructures system; Unfold's Stratigraphica, a collection of 3-D printed ceramics; and Bram Boo's Overdose, an animated desk with a chaotic shelving system.

The exhibition is organized under the label "Belgium is Design", a joint effort for different design actions in Belgium and abroad, organized by Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode, Design Flanders and the Brussels Centre of Fashion and Design, and supported by trade organization in Belgium and the Belgian government.