New Talent: Riches Across the River
Our New Talent this month comes from Cologne. But not, as one might have supposed, from the main halls of imm cologne. Rather, across the river, in an abandoned building, young German designers showed us why we must always be on our toes in search of new design. This year was the first year the Designers’ Fair was organized in Cologne, and in the future it will be open to designers from all over the world. In this gallery, then, we bring you the best and brightest of young German design.
At least a couple of designers have taken their student days experience and transferred it to furniture in small spaces. Bohm Design made a bench cum bed. No tools are necessary for the construction of this limited edition piece, since the whole thing is held together by twenty-eight power magnets. From Stadtnomaden we get another bench, which this time turns into a bed frame. Both pieces are solutions for those who receive visitors in their homes often enough, but still wish to have the space when the visitors are gone. They are also ideal pieces for that group that moves house often. Also a space saver is Nils Wodzak’s solution for the bulky, yet necessary iron, ironing board, and spray bottle. Hiding behind a back lit mirror on the wall is all the equipment you will ever need.
Lamps were presented by several of the designers. From Lampe Povera we have the lampshade made from coat hangers. As cool as this lamp shade is, we think, it is positively mundane compared to the mountain climber lamp by Matthias Ries. A bulb and lamp shade are attached to an actual mountain climbing pick. It can be placed anywhere on one’s wall and moved around. Or notice the lamp/flower by Julien Carretero. A nine volt battery is placed on the wall with an LED attached to the end of wires. But the most fascinating thing is the actual dandelion achenes attached to the LED making it look like a dandelion clock.
Drawing further inspiration from nature, this time water life, come the lamps from Jurgen Reichert’s Lichtwesen. The lights are simply made from colored silicone. In some models, the designer set crystals for greater luminosity. And go ahead, throw them in the aquarium, they would look great and are perfectly safe for fish.
The designer who impressed with both innovativeness and range of products was Peter Freund. He designed a lamp of his own, this one a solar lamp. It collects the energy during the day, only to release it at night. Further in his repertoire are household items such as decoration for a toilet paper holder, and wall holder made from used tennis balls. The latter can be used in the kitchen (holding a whisk), bathroom (toothbrush) or study (pen). His most ambitious design is the ‘Daywriter’ and ‘Nightwriter.’ The first is a shelf with a broadside that functions as a blackboard. If one writes on Nightwriter, the trace is fluorescent, and fades after a while. The multipurpose shelf is called “the world’s first interactive piece of furniture with three-dimensional user interface.”
Freund and friends made our jaws drop, eyes widen and breath stop. We were very glad we made the time to visit their fledgling exhibit in Cologne. If the following editions are half as good as this one, they will be a success. And of course we wish both the young designers and the exhibition luck in the future. If they continue designing like this, they will need little of it.
—Edward Djordjevic
