My Visit to the Object Design Fair in Rotterdam

Hi friends. I’d like to tell you about a design fair I visited while in Rotterdam called Object. I should mention that the event is quite young. It was first held in 2017. There was a break due to the pandemic, so it’s still an organization in its developmental stage. The event focuses on collectible original designs, giving young designers a real chance to express themselves.

The fair takes place across five floors of Rotterdam’s old library. By the way the building itself is quite fascinating, which is a big plus. To me it’s a typical example of modernism, even carrying post-modern elements in some places. Both the facade and the interior provide a perfect backdrop for the work of these young talents. I don’t know if I was just in a great mood or if the pieces were truly exceptional, but I was very impressed. I particularly loved a project that used old construction scaffolding to create furniture, including not just furniture but lamps as well. It looked very charming. While the iidea isn't brand new, the execution here was incredibly neat. Every piece was high-quality and the joints were masterfully crafted. Overall, it felt very dignified.

There is also a sympathetic yet decorative project featuring wire models of buildings destroyed during the Second WW bombings. I can’t recall if I’ve encountered this artist before or if it was someone else using a similar technique, but these objects look fantastic and could easily grace a luxury lounge. Perhaps they’d suit less formal spaces too, but the concept itself felt very intriguing to me. I also liked a decoration project specifically for corners. Our corners are always empty. Everyone tries to fill them somehow but rarely succeeds. Here, the idea is playful and charming, making it likely perfect for children’s rooms. The use of stained glass techniques for decorative interior objects was another unusual project. And the purely decorative items, such as various compositions and wall panels made of wood, paper and felt with vibrant graphics, looked great. They really capture a certain mood. While they might be a classic choice for a nursery, they could also look very chic in a minimalist interior if used in the right dose.

As you know, upcycling is a major topic in the Netherlands and throughout Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Besides the scaffolding furniture, there was another clever project using street grates, specifically rainwater grates. They collected and painted them in vivid colors, turning them into various items for outdoor use, terraces or public spaces. Of course, nothing stops you from using them indoors either. Another topic concerning public spaces and residential ones to an extent is how to decorate radiators and convectors. There were already plenty of projects on this, like turning radiators into benches or designing various screens. However, the idea of turning a convector into a daybed, specifically a heated daybed, struck me as brilliant. Again it would be very suitable for public areas.

I have my own personal metric for upcycling. Would I want this in my own home? or at least, Would I include this in the spaces I design? For the furniture made of grates or scaffolding, the answer is - Sure, why not? But things made out of garden hoses, while fun and attention-grabbing as an idea, don't exactly make you want to bring them home. What do you think about this? Of course, there are plenty of controversial works here, but the density of original ideas was quite high.

On the second floor I really liked a project by a young woman using saddle leather to create interior objects. These ranged from furniture pieces to smaller items like vases. And the lamp, of course, looks very original. It’s a combination of technological, graphic glass and the organic relief of leather, which she cuts by hand and soaks in water to give its final shape. Once the leather dries it holds its shape so firmly that the glass lampshade doesn't fall out. To complement these lamps, there is even a matching light switch. I also found a lovely collection made of hand-blown glass and reclaimed wood, specifically historic beams salvaged from somewhere. These were transformed into shelves and benches that look wonderful resting on glass bricks. The lamps and stools were also quite charming.

Decorative objects using prismatic glass somehow reminded me of my childhood. They have a similar effect to those holographic moving calendars everyone had in the eighties. They look very decorative. I think they are great pieces for minimalist interiors. They are quite expensive, but then again, you don't need many of them. Since this is now collectible design, its value is likely to increase.

There were also many experiments with ceramics. Some were quite dull, others ironic, but none really appealed to me personally. Again I am just passing them through my own filter. Similarly the Dutch have a great historical track record with glass. I liked a few pieces and others less so, mostly because we've seen many similar things before. It’s worth noting that the event is very popular among locals. It was Sunday and every hall was packed. Apparently, there were queues hundreds of meters long in the previous days. If people are choosing to spend their time here, it means good design is being showcased.

There were also concrete products. Two projects are worth mentioning: the first was sanitary ware, which are very functional things, but I loved the texture because it was quite unusual. The color palette was quintessentially Dutch. The second project was wall decor, consisting of volumetric relief tiles made of concrete in different colors and forms. I found the panels made using gravity particularly interesting. They mix, pour and shape the material, then hang it so it sets under the influence of gravity. As a result, no two pieces are alike. In this sense, nature itself becomes a partner in the creation of these decorative products. I also spotted a cute lamp with a kinetic component shaped like a peacock tail, which I had seen at previous fairs.

The acrylic cubes were also quite fun. These are essentially wall decor, but the concept is clever. The designer places a colored mesh inside and depending on the level of that mesh, a different gradient effect is created. For some reason, this section drew the most interest from visitors. My attention was caught by another project from a group of young ceramicists. Their ceramics are quite unusual, ranging from lamps to various objects. They also have a series created by pressing old magazines or books, using a sort of papier-mâché technique that somehow resembles natural stone patterns. Since these patterns are currently in vogue, I think it works very well.

I must also emphasize the democratic nature of the exhibition. There is no hierarchy between floors. I felt this quite sharply at the Collectible exhibition in Brussels, where the biggest names were on the ground floor and the young talents were tucked away on the top floors. Here, everything is mixed. Young talents are on the first and second floors right next to established masters. Secondly, the creators themselves are present at every exhibit. I think that’s wonderful.

In terms of variety, design was presented in its broadest sense. There were clothes, shoes and many objects bordering on or directly considered works of art. There were also things intended purely for entertainment. I loved the small lamps shaped like Ginkgo leaves because they looked very sympathetic. Even though they felt a bit secondary since the famous Dutch brand Moooi has something similar, they were still beautiful. Textiles are a very traditional craft for the Flanders region and young designers are experimenting here too, sometimes successfully and sometimes a bit simply. The same goes for felt. Some products were very basic, while others were quite interesting in both technique and execution. But overall everything was very respectable.

The wooden products were also quite charming. I really liked a collection of screens made from hand-assembled veneers. This isn't a marquetry technique. They glued these veneers layer by layer onto a wooden frame. The pieces are irregular and look quite poetic. And I must mention another craft very popular in the Netherlands 3D printing. The Dutch are considered pioneers of this technology, especially in creating interior objects and revealing its potential in this field. There were various objects here, large and small, printed from both plastic and clay. Lamps, naturally are made with the same tech. I didn't see anything super extraordinary. But it’s now part of the DNA of Dutch design, so it’s worth noting.

In addition to the techniques and materials mentioned, there were many pieces made of metal. Metal is currently a total material in focus for interior objects, covering both furniture and lighting. Various projects were presented, differing in aesthetics, technology and type of metal. And of course, there’s no escaping upcycling: making a chair out of a supermarket trolley is something only a Dutch designer would think of.

I loved the Object fair. I liked that the selection was solid and everything was gathered in one place. It’s a great alternative to Dutch Design Week because there, the venues are too spread out and sometimes you find things that aren't worth the trip. Here, everything is balanced and concentrated in a single building. The building itself is undoubtedly beautiful. As I mentioned I loved the democratic format of the floor distribution and the involvement of both visitors and designers of all calibers. If you’re thinking of visiting Rotterdam, it makes sense to time your trip to catch this event next year. You can combine it with an architectural walk because Rotterdam is a very interesting, experimental city, almost like a park of modern architecture. I hope to visit many more places and talk about beautiful things this year. See you soon.