DMY

THE SKY WAS NOT THE LIMIT

Joerg — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:39:38 +0000

The DMY International Design Festival Berlin 2008 is over, and the organiser looks back - not without pride - on a successful and dazzling Festival, during which set expectations were widely overshot. On the main exhibition area of the Arena Berlin grounds alone a total of 13.800 visitors filed by on the main weekend of May 21-25, 2008. 11.860 visitors attended the DMY Youngsters - the heart of the Festival - featuring 97 presentations by more than 150 participating young designers from 10 nations. On Wednesday, May 21, 2008, the opening attracted well over 2.000 guests. At the DMY Opening Night! at the Glashaus, presented by Bombay Sapphire, 1.200 guests showed up. As for the Pecha Kucha Night, the first-time DMY special programme feature drew some 400 guests, thus breaking a new attendance record.

For the first time in its history, the DMY expanded to a city-encompassing festival with the DMY Allstars. According to the organisers, 36 external special exhibitions, group shows and open studios featuring more than 180 designers from 14 nations welcomed a total of 4.600 visitors, generating wide public interest and a large turnout. Since design lovers mostly visited several DMY Allstars exhibitions as well as the DMY Youngsters, the figures quoted here result from a rough approximation.

Presented by SelectNY.Berlin, the brand new DMY Design Symposium module (completed by an individual workshop) welcomed 18 speakers from 11 countries, enabling them to introduce themselves to a public of 120 keen professionals and audience members. While participants from 5 nations exchanged views during two riveting Panel Talks, designers from 6 nations attended the Brandbuilding Workshop.

The DMY Specials also gathered widespread attention - for instance, the newly introduced DMY Design Shuttle was surprisingly well received despite initial motor mishaps and the occasional traffic jam. Two vintage double-decker busses with a 80 passenger capacity hit two different roads lined with a selection of DMY Allstars satellite exhibitions. To top it off, a modern coach seating 50 chauffeured reporters and VIP guests to the major external exhibitions.

Equally a premiere a the DMY, the µ:AVIT VJ conference presented by Motorola was visited by some 30 participating international VJs and visual artists, sparking off a world-wide interest via forums and news blogs. Together with the organisers VisualBerlin, DMY Berlin plans to further expand the conference and introduce it as an independent programme module next year.

At the Designer Dinner, which was developed into a networking platform in cooperation with Berlin Partner, the design theme was laid out on the tables by the Foodists on the breathtaking outdoor terrace of the Radialystem V, while the guest list featured more than 200 renowned representatives of the media, economy, politics and culture - and, last but not least, a myriad of young designers and design protagonists. For the first time, 10 Favourite DMY Youngsters selected by an international jury were introduced to the diners.

Finally, a few words have to be said about the legendary DMY Klublabor. From day one, DMY has not only ruled the days, but also the nights. For indeed, what environment could be better suited to deepen freshly acquired contacts than a night out with cold drinks and sizzling music? Previously located at the central exhibition venue in the Arena Berlin, this year’s Klublabor embarked on a tour of the city. Over a period of ten days, the design theme dominated nightly bouts of stylish ecstasy in a fine selection of seven internationally acclaimed clubs and typically Berlin-esque underground venues, from the legendary Cookies to the 103 Club, via the Badeschiff, the famed Bar 25 and the 15th floor of the Weekend.

Media response has been overwhelming. In 2008, DMY cooperated for the first time with seven carefully selected media partners, largely from the field of design and lifestyle. Furthermore, the Festival accredited a grand total of 340 national and international media representatives. With two press conferences preceding the Festival at the Berlin Roter Rathaus (”Red Townhall”) and at the DMY Youngsters main exhibition on the day of the opening, a special press & VIP preview, a private press shuttle to the DMY Allstars, the presence of prestigious media representatives at the Designer Dinner, as well as a large number of special events, the Festival succeeded in generating widespread attention in print, TV, radio and online media on both a national and international level.

DMY Berlin’s aspirations - as well as the expectations placed upon the organisers to establish a city-spanning, brand new international festival for design in Berlin during the month of May, have been fully met. The aimed-at attendance of 15.000 national and international visitors has been reached. As a result, 2008 stands out as a pinnacle in DMY Berlin’s six-year history, which has seen it evolve from the framework programme of its predecessor in 2003 to the Designmai Youngsters collective made up of visionaries and young designers, to the DMY International Design Festival of today.

Regarding ‘The Sky is Not the Limit’, the motto selected for the DMY International Design Festival not only stands as a synonym for the Berlin festival in 2008, but also simultaneously hints at DMY Berlin’s road into the future as an internationally recognized platform for design. Daily, Monthly, Yearly… DMY!

Thanks to you all.

…and the show goes on

Barry — Sun, 25 May 2008 08:09:16 +0000

Today may be the last day, but it is not the end of the matter. Still haven’t checked out all 35 venues and 250-something participating designers? Keep your hair on, there is still a little time left. Despite the fact that most of the designers start packing their bags this evening, some of the exhibitions such as “Turkish Delight”, the “Bombay Sapphire Gallery” or the Swiss Design Prize at Stilwerk will still remain open after the DMY curtain has fallen. The others needn’t unpack, since the DMY circus hits the road again in September to spread the name of Design Made In Berlin throughout the world. Some 20 designers, Allstars and Youngsters, set off to the next linchpin of the design scene. First stop on the way, the design biennale in Saint Etienne/France, closely followed by “Tent” in London, the Vienna Design Week in October, and finally, Design Expo in Taiwan. DMY launched its world tour in 2005 with stints in Seoul and Brussels – since then, especially young designers from Berlin have been able to network on a global scale. Goal of the operation: access an international public - and make business, of course. According to Joerg Suermann, mastermind of DMY, “The most important fair is London, which brings together key figures of art, architecture, and design.” “However, the most exciting fair for us this year will be in Taiwan. This is our first time there. This is still a very young event, and the region seeks to distance itself from its shoddy image of mass-production and to promote quality and design.” And since the future – if you choose to believe current prophecies of doom – lies in Asia and in China in particular, Berlin cannot afford to miss the bus. Even if it takes a little courage on behalf of the young designers, because as we know, China is not too particular about patents. Not yet.

Grand Sale at the Youngsters

Barry — Sun, 25 May 2008 08:00:44 +0000

Sunday afternoon the DMY lounge areas go on sale. Quinze & Milan, Dark and Magazin are offering their exhibition samples at very special rates. Self-collectors gather at 04:00 pm in the designated areas. The early bird catches the worm!

Sunday 25 May
Couch DJ Lounge by Quinze & Milan und Dark
Lounge Area by Magazin
DMY Youngsters at Arena

Bye bye Youngsters by Bombay

Barry — Sun, 25 May 2008 07:54:08 +0000

After closing of the DMY Youngsters Bombay Sapphire invites all participants of DMY International Design Festival as well as their friends to join a get-together at the Bombay Sapphire Gallery. Yummy drinks such as ‘Bombay Crushed’ and cool music by DJ Daniel Best are served.

Sunday 25 May, from 06:00 pm
Bombay Sapphire Gallery at the Pavillon
Karl-Marx-Allee 45
10178 Berlin

Designer Dinner

Barry — Sun, 25 May 2008 07:03:50 +0000

More than 200 invited guests climbed the roof of the Radialsystem V. The venue usually known for hosting terpsichorean events now welcomed guests to contemplate things of beauty that surround us. After three days of DMY certainly there was a lot of fat to chew on, well, if you don’t happen to be falling head over heels for the culinary delights whipped up by the Foodists. Telse Bus, Creative Director of the food agency, had every reason to smile. Feedback was phenomenal. Noemi Heidel, PR Manager of the Foodists, who knows tasteful guests briefly but happily commented “It’s going great.”

Visualberlin DMY podcast

Barry — Sun, 25 May 2008 06:07:02 +0000

Visualberlin published their first DMY festival video impressions.

I like it a lot!

Barry — Sat, 24 May 2008 08:01:23 +0000

Random members of the DMY Design Shuttle expedition: Marion Seiz – amateur design aficionado – and a design expert: moi.

First stop: Luminary. The Spree reservoir with Susanne Phillipson’s showroom.
“I don’t quite trust certain things,” declares the dilettante, adding: “How often will such a flimsy switch work before it breaks…”. I, the expert, start out by situating the oeuvre in the design context: the lines, the material and the historical references – and am finally able to ascertain: “Guardian of Light” displays impeccable workmanship.

Second stop: Couch. Object: Björn Meyer’s “Shift” couch in the Designdome exhibition located in the eponymous building: “That’s okay for a small flat!” comments Frau Seiz – “Interesting angles, this prototype,” I muse. “Wouldn’t mind having something like it.” The dilettante supplies emotional inspiration.

Third stop: Art Design: in the Bombay Sapphire Gallery and the Appel Design Galerie, we all need a little time to adjust. In this situation, even the expert recedes to the dilettante’s level: first of all, free your mind! “Are the gin glasses dusted every day?” enquires Marion Seiz, progressively gaining insight: at Appel, she is already considering plagiarism – tables with adhesive tape like the one by “El Ultimo Grito” are also something she could master herself. The expert, however, knows better.

Fourth stop: studio visit at Prof. Werner Aisslinger’s: for the first time, our test subject is exposed to a real design studio with plans and models – something that inspires her to embrace her inner DIY’er. The expert, in the mean time, delights in Aisslinger’s open-heartedness: Work in Progress is normally top secret. Despite of this, everyone’s getting camera happy.

Conclusion: while the dilettante immediately considers her own apartment, hygiene and durability when exposed to design, the expert has eyes for the object only – in a wider context. Sometimes, however, both encounter a creation which leaves them equally mesmerised: the amateur, dazed – and the expert, confused.

How to select a Top Ten

Barry — Sat, 24 May 2008 08:00:25 +0000

Are there objective criteria that enable to determine the quality of design? Yes. Or is it simply a matter of taste? Again, yes - meaning, therefore, that the Jury’s selection can be subjected to interpretation. This year, for the first time, five international jurors were requested to select a top ten amongst 300 applicants. The experts – designers, experts, consultants – required only three sessions to make their choice. For instance, with their surveillance camera disguised as a bird-house, ‘chris & ruby in friesland’ were an almost instant univocal choice, as were the knitted lamps by Kwangho Lee from South Korea. Further darlings: Aylin Kayser & Christian Metzner’s ‘Ikarus’ wax lamp, as well as the new production technique of the ‘Plopp’ tin stool by Oskar Zieta, which enables to produce serial unicums. A common denominator? The objects all play with critical irony and unusual or familiar materials that are set in a new, unexpected context – arty, experimental and hardly commercial. It is hard to imagine that some of these projects will find their way into sleek designer showrooms or furniture fairs in a season or two. “Creativity comes before business. We consider our selection as a preliminary stage, a laboratory where new ideas take shape for the first time,” explains Åke Rudolf, DMY curator and member of the jury. His personal favourite, by the way – and this happens to be a matter of taste after all – is the knit lamp, which graces galleries and living-rooms with equal ease.

AVIT meets DMY

Barry — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:01:45 +0000

The AVIT Community, a world-wide, decentrally organised network of video artists has accessed global fame via vjcentral.com and vjforums.com, and organises festivals and conferences on a regular basis since 2002. Under the title µ:avit, VisualBerlin organises its first time a VJ conference within the framework of DMY, similar to those already held by groups of the AVIT Community in cities such as Paris, Rome or Birmingham. The VJ Conference is organised with the support of Motorola.

µ:avit VJ Conference
presented by Motorola
DMY Youngsters @ Arena
Sat May 24, 12 PM – 10 PM

Brain Food

Barry — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:00:32 +0000

From newcomer to brand - this is the topic of the workshop held by the Berlin based brand building team of the international agency SelectNY. At the Symposium which takes place over the whole day, pure theory is served on a silver platter, while the public witnesses the world shrink – for instance when Chiho Kim asks himself: how does one become a true Korean designer? Not a bad question, for what renders design distinctive? The creator’s native country - or the “protohype”? Alison Dring (UK) and Daniel Schwaag (D) put the hunger for the exclusive under the microscope. 17 lectures reveal profound and fascinating insights into the minds of the creative forces at work.

Symposium Programme

Design Symposium

presented by SelectNY

Starting 10:30 with lectures, panel talks, workshop

RADIALSYSTEM V
Holzmarktstr. 33
radialsystem.de