Droog Event I: Open Borders, Design etc.

Droog launched the first edition of its triennial Droog Event, which will always be held in a different European city. The aim of this triennial is to highlight the recent developments in European design with crossovers to other disciplines as the arts and architecture. A shared attitude is central to the selection.
The first Droog Event took place in the context of Lille 2004, Cultural Capital of Europe. Open Borders, Design etc. focused on a number of specific developments currently experienced in various creative disciplines. Designers, artists, architects and other creative people made the existing social, economic and technological environment into a subject for processing and also made the user an active participator.
In the weekend of 4 and 5 September, to mark the opening, and in the weekend of 23 and 24 October, to mark the furniture fair in Kortrijk, the visitor could participate in a number of performances by designers and artists both in and around the exhibition:
Freshen Up
Part of Open Borders is a workshop by Conny Groenewegen, Arnout Visser and Franck Bragigand. During the half-yearly flea market at the Wazemmes Market (Place de Croix) they have a stand where they offer their services. The public is invited to entrust them with objects bought at the flea market, so they can benefit from being transformed. During the following week they work in the publicly accessible workshop on redesigning the products submitted. At the end of the week the public picks up the ‘new’ things.
From Lille with Love
A number of products have been developed in cooperation with regional industry: glass giant ARC International in Arques, ceramic industry Faiencerie d’Arc de Dèvres, lace manufacturer Desseilles Textiles SAS in Calais and high tech fibre producers Dubar-Warneton and Rubans Gallant in Roubaix.
In their designs the designers have started from existing products and added new elements or made combinations. An example is the French-Flemish glass by Wieki Somers, a merger of French wine and Flemish beer tradition. The other designers are: Gijs Bakker (art direction), Connie Groenewegen, Simon Heijdens, Chris Kabel, Paolo Ulian, Frederik Roijé and Arnout Visser. Exhibition Design by 24h Living.