Greater awareness of how we live and consume – Talents bring value to the table
Eating is a basic human need, just like drinking and sleeping, but the tabletop has always mirrored social values, which the young design avant-garde are rediscovering. Participants in the Talents sponsorship programme for young designers will be presenting these values at the next Ambiente in Frankfurt am Main. From 13 to 17 February, these design scene newcomers will be presenting their work in Hall 6.0, at the world’s biggest consumer-goods fair. With the clear focus on products such as china, cutlery and glasses, these young creatives breathe new life into the theme of table culture.
Designer Katja Bremkamp lives and works in London, a city which does justice to its reputation as an art, music, fashion, design and food trendsetter: “I notice more awareness in the way we approach the culture of eating – we are more aware and more experimentation- happy.” Since graduating from the Royal College of Art, Katja Bremkamp, a trained silver- and goldsmith, has devoted her work to designing and redefining utensils for the table, including knives, forks and spoons. The focus of the designer is directed at the relationship between the individual cutlery items, what lies behind their interdependency, social rituals and how they evolved. For example, Bremkamp devotes one of her creations to the sensuality of the first bite. Her “Foreplay” cutlery has nothing in common with familiar utensils but is a newly discovered aid to seductive presentation and the indulgent moment of that impressive first taste. “My training enables me to create durable forms using top quality materials.” And there’s a demand for this. The work of the adopted Londoner, created exclusively in silver, meets the needs of a demanding young group of consumers with a high disposable income. “I attract customers who are looking for something valuable, durable but modern.”
Stanley Ruiz is attracting attention with unusual material aesthetics. In his “The New Organic” product line, the organic meets the factory made. White-painted steel forms a support structure for branches and small twigs. Unusual decorative objects are created. “The raw aesthetics of my work is a response to the ultra-smoothness of the product world around us”, explains the Filipino who lives in New York. “The New Organic product range celebrates the handcrafted.”
Another Talents participant, London designer Tomás Alonso, explains: “Eating is a basic need which, over the years, has become a pillar of our culture. Quite apart from the fact that I enjoy eating and cooking myself, what I like is the opportunity to contribute something to this culture through my designs.” As with Bremkamp’s work, a study of the individual objects forms the starting point for his “Élévation sur table” project. His place settings, dishes, serviettes and cutlery forms an austere table setting, in which small details link the individual objects together – a ledge on the edge of the plate marks the place for the serviette, cutlery which bends over the serviette. Classic materials like porcelain, silver and fine woven cotton link the table setting to centuries-old table traditions.
More awareness of what you eat, of what you enjoy and a more authentic lifestyle. Our concepts of value are increasingly mirrored in consumer behaviour. The young designers bring these values to the table.
Ambiente, the world’s leading fair for the consumer-goods sector
Ambiente is the world’s biggest trade fair for consumer goods. Every year, it attracts 140,000 trade visitors and 4,600 exhibitors from around the world to Frankfurt’s exhibition halls. Ambiente is a must, not just because of its unique product range, which is practically unrivalled in breadth and depth, Frankfurt also offers a host of exhibitions and special shows. For example, the “Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany” is one of the highlights of the international design scene. Not only is the award presented at Ambiente, Frankfurt is also the first stop for the temporary exhibition (in the Foyer of Halls 5.1 and 6.1). On the other hand, the Design Plus Award, featuring new products from Ambiente exhibitors which impress due to their outstanding design, function and concept, demonstrates the innovative strength of the consumer goods industry. Another new highlight was launched in 2008 – the trend show in the Galleria.
Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is Germany’s largest trade fair organiser, with 436 million euros in sales in 2008 (figure as of November 2008) and more than 1,400 employees worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 29 subsidiaries, five branch offices and 48 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Events “made by Messe Frankfurt” take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2008, Messe Frankfurt organised more than 100 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany. Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds, featuring 322,000 square metres of exhibition space, are currently home to nine exhibition halls and an adjacent Congress Center. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
