Designers seize power at Koldinghus
It is busy times at the Museum at Koldinghus, and there is much to celebrate: the 750-year anniversary of the Koldinghus castle, the sparkling 'The Splendour of Power' jewellery exhibition, and soon to come, a new class of designers from Design School Kolding. Designers who are ready to conquer the old castle halls with brand new suggestions for how design can impact modern society. All presented under the exhibition title 'Designer, Seize the Power'.
Inspired by three subthemes, People, Planet and Play, the exhibition debates how power is not necessarily an externally imposed dictate. Power is also the freedom to influence the world how and where you can.
"Society's power structures are changing, and as designers we should focus our attention on the power shifts between individuals and institutions, between industry and society, between technology and human beings," Christian Bason explains.
He is CEO at Danish Design Centre and guest curator of the exhibition's Planet theme. Planet, as in sustainable solutions with an international outlook and thus a series of designs that show responsibility.
Hate the word 'power'
The prominent namedropping continues: Danish multi artist and fashion designer Henrik Vibskov orchestrates the exhibition's Play theme, meaning the designs that relate to the playful human being. He encourages the students to allow unruliness to take over the design process:
"I know from my own creative process that a lot of good things can come from mistakes and from walking through the wrong door. You learn a great deal from the things you hadn't planned on. Play means that anything can happen. Play can make the students go in directions that they weren't meant to," he says, about the design approach that he likes to refer to as Power Play.
The third power musketeer is Mads Quistgaard, designer and member of the Danish Design Council. He is in charge of the exhibition's People theme, which, among other things, includes solutions relating to health and social areas, and says,
"I actually believe that most designers hate the word 'power'. That isn't what motivates them. I believe in the power of constantly being able to come up with better solutions. That is the way to get people's attention."
Time: The exhibition runs from 28 June to 21 October 2018 and is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm.
Place: Museum at Koldinghus
For further information, please contact Charlotte Melin, Head of Communications, Design School Kolding Email: cham@dskd.dk / Phone: +45 40 86 51 57
