Belgian design. Does that bring anything to mind?
How about the Belgian design "scene"? Still nothing?
Well that's just as well then, because if you had heard of such a thing you'd have been mistaken — it doesn't exist. I know this because some Belgian designers and other movers and shakers from the Belgian non-scene told me so.
They replied to the following questions unanimously:
Is there such a thing as Belgian design? No.
Do you feel like you're part of a design community? No.
Are there any Belgian design characteristics? No.
So there you have it. That was the world's shortest article. And yet, viewed from abroad, there is clearly something stirring in this corner of Northern Europe. It's just probably best not to try and give it a name.
Ascribing national characteristics to design is problematic at the best of times, but especially so in the case of Belgium, a country with three official languages (French, Flemish and German) and riven by regional differences. "Belgium is a non-existent country; it's a construct," says Jan Boelen, the director of the Z33 centre for contemporary art in Hasselt, one of the most consistently engaging design venues in Europe. He goes on to explain that since cultural funding is regional, and education and the media are similarly split along regional lines, it's difficult to talk about a coherent "scene".
![Top: Ceramic objects made by
Unfold—Claire Warnier and
Dries Verbruggen—with
a 3D printer in 2011. The
possibility to manufacture
very fine layers allows the
creation of innovative forms. Above: Unfold, <em>Stratigraphic
Manufactury</em>, Istanbul Design
Biennial, 2012. Besides
exhibiting its work on 3D
ceramic printing, Unfold
launched also a distribution
and production model
involving a network of smallscale
local manufacturers. Photo by Kristof Vrancken / © Unfold Top: Ceramic objects made by
Unfold—Claire Warnier and
Dries Verbruggen—with
a 3D printer in 2011. The
possibility to manufacture
very fine layers allows the
creation of innovative forms. Above: Unfold, <em>Stratigraphic
Manufactury</em>, Istanbul Design
Biennial, 2012. Besides
exhibiting its work on 3D
ceramic printing, Unfold
launched also a distribution
and production model
involving a network of smallscale
local manufacturers. Photo by Kristof Vrancken / © Unfold](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_9649_02_StartigraphicManufacturyIstanbul_61.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![The 3D ceramic
printer for "L'Artisan Électronique" was
made on the basis of the
RepRap open-source project. Photo by Kristof Vrancken / © Z33 The 3D ceramic
printer for "L'Artisan Électronique" was
made on the basis of the
RepRap open-source project. Photo by Kristof Vrancken / © Z33](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_8084_03_LArtisanElectronique21.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
In the absence of any national strategy for design (such as you would find in neighbouring Holland) it has fallen to enterprising individuals to lead the way
![At the 2010 exhibition
“L’Artisan Électronique”,
curated by Unfold
and Tim Knapen, and
commissioned by Z33 House
for Contemporary Art in
collaboration with Bits
from Bytes, the 3D printing
process imitated traditional
ceramic techniques. Photo by Peter Verbruggen / © Unfold At the 2010 exhibition
“L’Artisan Électronique”,
curated by Unfold
and Tim Knapen, and
commissioned by Z33 House
for Contemporary Art in
collaboration with Bits
from Bytes, the 3D printing
process imitated traditional
ceramic techniques. Photo by Peter Verbruggen / © Unfold](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_2488_04_Milan11.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![OS Sand Digger, designed
by Ricardo Carneiro and
Tristan Kopp. Their design
was part of the 2011 OS Kid’s
Toys project, which involved
designers, craftspeople and
students in the invention of
toys, including a sledge, a
chair and a swing. The series
of objects used components
from the previous OS
BlocBox project (by Thomas
Lommée and Jo Van
Bostraeten). Photo courtesy of Intrastructures OS Sand Digger, designed
by Ricardo Carneiro and
Tristan Kopp. Their design
was part of the 2011 OS Kid’s
Toys project, which involved
designers, craftspeople and
students in the invention of
toys, including a sledge, a
chair and a swing. The series
of objects used components
from the previous OS
BlocBox project (by Thomas
Lommée and Jo Van
Bostraeten). Photo courtesy of Intrastructures](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_3040_05_IMG_28351.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![OS
Waterboiler in the version by
Unfold, with a glass receptacle
and a ceramic filter made with
a 3D printer. Photo courtesy of Intrastructures OS
Waterboiler in the version by
Unfold, with a glass receptacle
and a ceramic filter made with
a 3D printer. Photo courtesy of Intrastructures](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_1282_06_Lommé_IMG_27791.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![In "L'Artisan Électronique," the shape is created by
the accumulation of layers
of clay. The virtual potter’s
wheel is a digital
tool that “turns” forms
and objects. Photo © Unfold In "L'Artisan Électronique," the shape is created by
the accumulation of layers
of clay. The virtual potter’s
wheel is a digital
tool that “turns” forms
and objects. Photo © Unfold](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_9813_07_P10609701.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![OS ToyBox, designed by
Christiane Högner of LoFi
Studio. Photo courtesy of Intrastructures OS ToyBox, designed by
Christiane Högner of LoFi
Studio. Photo courtesy of Intrastructures](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_8562_08_L10202221.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![The <em>Tape Hasselt</em>
architecture-sculpture at the
Z33 House for Contemporary
Art. Suspended between
the trees, the work
was constructed with
superimposed layers of
transparent adhesive tape
wound round a light support
frame. It was created in
Hasselt last year by Z33
with Numen / For Use to
celebrate the art venue’s
tenth anniversary. Founded
by Jan Boelen in 2002, Z33
is a workshop/meeting place
that promotes a continuous
programme of temporary
exhibitions and art and design
projects in public spaces. Photo by Kristof Vrancken / Z33 The <em>Tape Hasselt</em>
architecture-sculpture at the
Z33 House for Contemporary
Art. Suspended between
the trees, the work
was constructed with
superimposed layers of
transparent adhesive tape
wound round a light support
frame. It was created in
Hasselt last year by Z33
with Numen / For Use to
celebrate the art venue’s
tenth anniversary. Founded
by Jan Boelen in 2002, Z33
is a workshop/meeting place
that promotes a continuous
programme of temporary
exhibitions and art and design
projects in public spaces. Photo by Kristof Vrancken / Z33](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_8358_09_TAPE-Z33-2012-91.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
"Five years ago I wouldn't have been able to name one good organisation here, but it's really down to individuals pulling hard." One of those individuals is Giovanna Massoni, the director of what was formerly the Liège International Design Biennial but was relaunched last year as "Reciprocity", a design platform for social innovation. Massoni, an Italian based in Brussels, says she struggles with the provincial factionalism of Belgium ("There are cultural borders you feel every day") and the conservative approach of its institutions ("They don't fund research, they just promote the results") but nevertheless sees the potential within an anarchic system. "We wanted to create a platform for seeing design as something other than products," she says. "We introduced a programme of design for social innovation to see how people reacted to the idea, and we were pleasantly surprised."
![Objects resulting from the
“Domestic Reuse” workshop,
an experiment in opensource
design hosted by
the Onomatopee Gallery in
Eindhoven, 2012. The starting
point of this collective work
was the plaster tile stacked and
processed to create ceramic
moulds Objects resulting from the
“Domestic Reuse” workshop,
an experiment in opensource
design hosted by
the Onomatopee Gallery in
Eindhoven, 2012. The starting
point of this collective work
was the plaster tile stacked and
processed to create ceramic
moulds](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_2271_10_DSC_00071.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Production process for
a piece of furniture in the
<em>Stencil</em> collection, designed
by Julien Carretero, 2012.
Made of cast aluminium and
fabric, it is the fruit of three
years’ experimentation to
cut the production costs
(thanks to reusable moulds)
of this complex technology
and to reduce wastage of
materials Production process for
a piece of furniture in the
<em>Stencil</em> collection, designed
by Julien Carretero, 2012.
Made of cast aluminium and
fabric, it is the fruit of three
years’ experimentation to
cut the production costs
(thanks to reusable moulds)
of this complex technology
and to reduce wastage of
materials](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_7448_11_DSC_01161.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![The
<em>Nacelle</em> furniture-seat,
designed by Julien Carretero
in collaboration with the
upholstered furniture maker
Kohlmaier Wien, for Vienna
Design Week 2012 The
<em>Nacelle</em> furniture-seat,
designed by Julien Carretero
in collaboration with the
upholstered furniture maker
Kohlmaier Wien, for Vienna
Design Week 2012](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_6029_12_jc-stencil-stool2-c1.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Projects and
installations for Interieur
2012. The kinetic
installation <em>Tele-Present
Wind</em> by David Bowen,
in which sensors detect
information on the intensity
and direction of the wind Projects and
installations for Interieur
2012. The kinetic
installation <em>Tele-Present
Wind</em> by David Bowen,
in which sensors detect
information on the intensity
and direction of the wind](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_3473_13_david_bowen_tele_present_wind1.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![The
<em>RV — Room Vehicle</em> project
by Greg Lynn for “Future
Primitives” at Interieur 2012, a minimal living
module with a low CO2
footprint. Photo by Frederik Vercruysse The
<em>RV — Room Vehicle</em> project
by Greg Lynn for “Future
Primitives” at Interieur 2012, a minimal living
module with a low CO2
footprint. Photo by Frederik Vercruysse](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2013/03/20/the-belgian-affair/big_408291_7649_14_installation_greg_lynn_building_up_copy_wouter_van_vaerenbergh1.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)