je suis dada | between dream and reality

It is no coïncidence that Belgium is the country of surrealism. Belgians are raised on a certain form of stratification, of disorientation. This applies equally to design. This should not surprise, given that surrealist artists readily incorporate everyday objects in their compositions.

This is why Design Flanders decided to centre a travelling exhibition around the surrealist theme. The launch took place in November in Turin during the Torino World Design Capital event, where it attracted a great deal of interest. In the coming autumn the exhibition will travel to Vienna (designaustria) and Prague (Museum for Decorative Arts). In 2010 the exhibition can be seen in Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands.

Je suis dada shows objects with hidden meanings, pregnant with emotion, poetry, irony and relativism. They get us dreaming, fantasising and smiling again, only nowadays there is nothing wrong in setting out to shock. Imagination reigns again. Functionality and beauty are no longer specified as the only conditions, or even as conditions in themselves. The title itself refers almost literally to this drive towards freedom, its intrigues, raises questions, and carries the same weight as ‘Ceci n'est pas une pipe’. These are generally limited-edition objects produced in small production runs, but industry too can fall for their sexy appeal.

Je suis dada grew into something larger, in which not only the objects but also the graphic design, the scenography, the visuals and the music became part of the surrealist story the exhibition brings to you.

Scenography: Pieter Boons & Annemie Lathouwers architects
Art intervention: concept & realisation video films Pieter Boons 2008 (© VRT & Charly Herscovici)
Sound intervention: Philip Bosmans & Odette Groeneveld by sineconcept
Lay-out catalogue: www.barlock.be
Lay-out poster: Lodewijk Joye.

The designers :
Atelier Blink | Bram Boo | Siegfried De Buck | Hilde De Decker | Nora De Rudder | Jos Devriendt | Nedda El-Asmar | Anita Evenepoel | Silke Fleischer | Davy Grosemans | Linde Hermans | Christiane Hoegner | Hoetdesign | Cynthia Jacobs | Sofie Lachaert & Luc D’hanis | Bart Lens | Xavier Lust | Hugo Meert | Luc Ramael | Stefan Schöning | Lucile Soufflet | Diane Steverlynck | Francine Van Der Biest | Roos Van De Velde | Frans L. Van Praet | Danny Venlet | Daniel Weinberger | Weyers & Borms | Dirk Wynants

The companies :
Dark | Desalto | Droog | Limited Editions | Eden Design | Eternum | Gense
Mdf Italia | Prandina | Robbe & Berking | Rode Schoentjes | Vlaemsch() | Viteo

A small catalogue is made for the exhibition. It is distributed for free during the exhibition.

Praktical information :
Je suis dada | Between dream and reality
8 May – 30 May 2009

Design Flanders Gallery
Kanselarijstraat 19, B-1000 Brussels (near the Saint-Michels cathedral)

Open on: Tuesday till Friday, from 11 am till 6 pm; Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm tll 5 pm. Closed on Mondays and holidays (21 & 31 May).