Drawing Circles

Anna Moldenhauer: Wendy, why did you found a studio by the name of Dutch Invertuals in 2009?

Wendy Plomp: After completing my studies I worked as a freelance designer. One of my clients had a large showroom in Milan and, on the occasion of a Salone del Mobile, asked me whether I would like to showcase contemporary Dutch design there. What was important to me about the opportunity was to stress just how varied the discipline actually is – from graphic design to interior design and, with material research, even beyond that. I had not previously encountered some of the participating designers at the time, and they were not networked with one another. The exhibition gave us the opportunity to exchange information and to realize more joint projects. We have retained this way of thinking right up to the present day – a multiplicity of approaches and a willingness to experiment.

In Dutch Invertuals, you established a collective back at a time when this way of working was not exactly the order of the day in the design world. How do you work today?

Wendy Plomp: My intention back then was to bring all the strands together and to manage the process. At the same time, however, I wanted my role to be more than that of a classic curator. This means that I not only put together existing works for an exhibition, I am actually in charge of the design process in terms of new work for the show – sometimes more hands-on and sometimes less so, depending on my experience of the relevant designer. It is really great to be part of a group developing new ideas and thoughts that have so much to do with our future. I find this combination extremely interesting because we are working within a design process and, in parallel, looking to the future, highlighting new developments and being involved in changing the way that design is presented.

In your opinion, is it the case that not enough advantage is being taken of the potential for interdisciplinary dialogue in design?

Wendy Plomp: The focus has shifted in recent years. In the beginning, auteur design tended to be more what was called for and the creatives were at great pains to safeguard their ideas. However, over time the whole thing became more transparent. Sadly, the pandemic has slowed this development down. Currently, a great deal is taking place behind closed doors once again because the dialog is simply not there. That said, the cooperation agreements between designers and companies are now becoming more short-lived and more temporary collectives are popping up. This means that the creatives’ work is less controlled from the outside, they have more scope for developing new styles and techniques.

Is ego beginning to take a backseat in the world of design?

Wendy Plomp: Of course, what the designers really want is to present their work in galleries, to sell the fruits of their labors, and to earn money. However, I don’t think that nowadays it’s any longer enough to clamor for attention as a creative. The question is rather: What can design achieve as far as the future is concerned in this world – what materials and technologies do we need and how can we make a statement that is sustainable. Why is it interesting to show off this new chair and what is trendsetting about it? Nowadays, we tend to question our ideas more in terms of their general usefulness. Their production processes and materials need to be optimized in order to see a difference in the long term. Furthermore, we are learning to show a new appreciation of the things that surround us, both as designers and as consumers.

MAKK is currently hosting your exhibition “The Circle. The most iconic shape redesigned”. You have already presented exhibitions focusing on the subject, both at the Salone del Mobile and in the framework of the Dutch Design Week. What is it that is different this time?

Wendy Plomp: Basically, we are establishing a collection, one in which interdisciplinary designers develop their own interpretations of the circle. I find it great each and every time to mastermind new works together in a different way. For the exhibition at MAKK we have selected 17 pieces by a total of 20 designers. In fact, 13 of the items were purpose-created for the exhibition in Cologne. This means that there are plenty of new approaches amongst them.

You mentioned at the press conference on the show that the collaboration is fluid. Some designers join the project, others go off in another direction. How would you like “The Circle” to look in future?

Wendy Plomp: “The Circle” is a collection and a network, and one of our aims for the future is to expand it. We use international examples to highlight the approaches that designers take for change. It is a collective, a circle of people who think creatively – that is basically what is needed to get things going. Our community was founded on creative thought processes.

Why did you opt for the circle as your subject matter?

Wendy Plomp: A circle has no beginning and no end. Moreover, it is a symbol and one that is used in many different contexts, even in that of religion. I find it fascinating, to furnish such an important shape with different identities.

Has the current show come up with any approaches to design that you had not been expecting?

Wendy Plomp: How quickly the young designers who have worked on the project have developed has often surprised me. How committed their approach to their work has been and what giant strides they have taken. They have achieved more than I dared to hope. This is something that really makes me proud.

What other projects are you working on with your team?

Wendy Plomp: We want to understand how humans are changing nature and how we can set the relationship on a more equal footing once again. It is our aim to present the process and our ideas at international exhibitions. We want to make the kind of objects that we will be needing in the future and to open up a dialogue about how man can reach a consensus with nature once again.

The Circle
The most iconic shape redesigned

Until 24 April 2022
Tuesday to Sunday 10-18 h

MAKK - Museum of Applied Arts Cologne
An der Rechtschule 7
50667 Cologne
Telephone: +49 221 - 221 238 60

The current mask requirement and, in addition, the 2G rule (convalescent or vaccinated) are binding for visits to the museum and events.Children and young people up to and including 15 years of age are exempt from the 2G rule.