Launch of the new Brussels Collection – Launching at Collectible, 8–11 March 2018
From our base in Copenhagen, Adorno connects design communities across the world. Launched in 2017, the online gallery, shop and curator network gives design collectors and enthusiasts a unique opportunity to discover, explore and acquire the best design art from the world’s great design cities.
In collaboration with on-the-ground design insiders, Adorno maintains curated collections of exceptional design art from creative communities from London and Barcelona to Istanbul and Mexico City. Next month at Collectible in Brussels, Belgium’s pioneering new fair for unique and limited-edition 21stcentury design art, Adorno unveils the latest addition to its city collections: a hand-picked selection of contemporary design excellence from the Brussels region.
Curated by Brussels-based art historian and journalist Elien Haentjens, Adorno’s Brussels collection shines a spotlight on the rich variety of Belgian design, including:
• Ceramic vases from Harvey Bouterse’s Primitive series. These playful hand-built vases take
inspiration from Bouterse’s South American background (he was born in Suriname) and love of
architecture.
• Rough but poetic sculptural concrete works by Ghent-based artist and designer Bram
Vanderbeke. Reinforcements is a collection of structures in concrete and steel inspired by
concrete reinforcements. Sculpted out of large concrete waste blocks, the New Primitives series
of abstract tables and benches is the result of a material exploration – treating concrete as
natural stone to create new textures.
• Kevin Oyen’s sculpture/seat Magic Bean, which consists of thousands of particles of waste metal
hand-welded together and mirror polished to create a flexible metallic fabric that is then draped
over a steel sculpture to create both a comfortable place to sit, and a striking, organically
contoured artistic object.
• Bigger Plate by product and material designer Linde Freya. Carved from Meranti wood, the plate
has a textural surface design first made by hand, then translated to be milled by CNC.
• The Venise wall lamp by Brussels design studio PaulinePlusLuis. Inspired by the Venetian blind,
and made from anodised aluminium the lamp recreates the effect of sunlight glinting through a
blind’s slats, thus recreating the play of light in the room.
• Studio Corkhino’s Mother collection of reclaimed-cork products. These sustainably made
coasters can be used as surface protectors, sound absorbers or simply decorative objects.
• The sculptural chair Shelly by Belgian furniture designer Peter Donders. The chair is made from
cast bronze, its form based on a 3D print.
• The Tetris ceiling lamp by Yves Pauwels. Made from a cut and stretched tube of metal, the madeto-
measure piece creates an enchanting play of light and shadow.
• Tribo tables by Sep Verboom, recent winner of the Henry van de Velde Young Talent award by the
Flemish design association Flanders DC. The tables are made out of the fibres of the Carnaúba
palm tree, and were inspired by the natural environment of Brazil’s Delta do Parnaíba.
‘The selection demonstrates the diversity of the Belgian design scene, with its strong concepts and philosophies, its experiments with materials, its savoir-faire and its use of highend innovative technologies.’
– Elien Haentjens, Adorno’s Brussels curator
Displayed on the ground and on tables, the new Brussels collection will occupy half of Adorno’s 50 sq m exhibition space at Collectible; with the other half devoted to showcasing selected pieces from Adorno’s existing Milan and Berlin collections. Each of these areas will feature works by designers who are shaping their respective design communities.
The Milan collection is curated by Domitilla Dardi and Angela Rui, and features chairs, vases and sculptural objects by Paolo Ulian, Antonio Arico, Dossofiorito and Analogia Project.
The Berlin selection has been chosen by designer William Bagnoli, and includes tables, textiles and wall pieces by Evelyn Sitter, Atelier Haussmann, Pascal Howe, Philipp Weber, Elisa Strozyk and Zascho Petkow. Visitors to Collectible will therefore have an opportunity to compare and contrast the design scenes in three European creative hubs – making Adorno’s exhibition a one-of-a-kind celebration of cultural diversity and design excellence.
Adorno’s mission is to uncover and celebrate local creative cultures all over the world. That’s why we nurture an international network of on-the-ground curators: the people who know their local design community – and the culture and individuals that shape it – better than anyone.
– Kristian Snorre Andersen, Adorno’s co-founder and CEO
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