DDW16: Central Area
The Central Area of Dutch Design Week is so big, I haven't seen everything yet. You just can't do it in one day. But man, here I was the most amazed of all area's I've seen so far.
This is all because of the bizarre exhibition Maarten Baas, (DDW host of this year), put down at VDMA terrain.
Here are my Central Area highlights so far:
Maarten Baas makes time - VDMA
'Time' is the central theme of this exhibition. There is so much to see and all so unique! There is a collection of chairs which all have their own story. There is a really cool tiny machine that burns words into sand, but then the words only exist one minute. There are boxes with poems on them, inside the boxes you can see the story of the poem. The 'Vlisco' tent where Sergio Herman serves his dinner takes your breath away. And there is so much more! I've seen so much this week but this definitely stands out. The best thing I've seen so far.
The (expat) Hub - VDMA
When you leave the Maarten Baas expo you'll be guided through the Hub. The expat center is a bar and bakery during DDW. It is a comfy stop and the pretzels they serve are delicious and well priced :).
Kazerne - Paradijslaan
Kazerne is one of those spots you want to see, even if it is just because of the beauty of this location. You can walk through many small rooms, all filled with their own little exhibitions of contemporary design. Look up the 'Storytiles' room, here you can find the cutest tiles for your home. In the restaurant, where you can just walk around without eating anything, there are some cool installations.
Stroomhuis - Eindje
Besides exhibitions and food there is also DDW Music. I went to Stroomhuis, which is one of the coolest venues in town. Really raw, less comfort, Berlin. If you don't like beer, bummer, they probably don't have anything else. Only 150 people can attend a show here. I saw 'Traumahelikopter', a garage rock band. They where so close, I could smell their sweat. That is the thing here, the performers are part of the crowd, they just happen to be on stage at some point. No bullshit. Love it.
