22nd October 2015
Four-day design feasibility study to Scandinavia and The Netherlands concludes in Eindhoven where designers are showcasing their work as part of Irish Design 2015
Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash TD today officially launched the first group presentation of Irish design at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.
Liminal – Irish design at the threshold features over 20 designers, architects, companies and studios involved in collaborations across disciplines, and is the touring flagship exhibition for Irish Design 2015 (ID2015), the year long initiative backed by the Irish government promoting and celebrating Irish design in Ireland and internationally. The exhibition explores the craft of collaboration across disciplines and presents the exploratory journeys undertaken by designers.
Moving through a series of design venues around the world and continually evolving during the year, the exhibition demonstrates the breadth of Irish design excellence and considers the possibilities for the future. Following its inaugural run at Milan Design Week in April where it was billed by Design Milk as one of two highlights of Zona Tortona, Liminal – Irish design at the threshold received widespread acclaim from international audiences in New York in May where it was included by international design publications Curbed, Dwell and Azure in their highlights of NYCxDesign, the city’s official celebration of design. In The Netherlands, Elle Decoration has listed Liminal as one of “5 events that you should not miss at DDW”.
Minister Nash said: “The aim of Irish Design 2015 (ID2015) is to bring visibility to Ireland’s dynamic design businesses, supporting them in trading in competitive foreign markets and ultimately creating jobs at home. As the flagship exhibition for ID2015, Liminal – Irish design at the threshold offers a unique platform for showcasing Irish innovation and creativity to discerning audiences around the world.”
Minister Nash continued: “The response to this exhibition’s previous outings at Milan Design Week and WantedDesign in New York highlights the success of Irish Design 2015 in promoting the breadth of Ireland’s design talent on the international stage. The ongoing evolution of this exhibition throughout the year which has resulted in new work being unveiled at Dutch Design Week will be instrumental in positioning design at the heart of our creative economy and in growing Ireland’s reputation abroad as a source of innovative design products and services and a great country to do business.”
Highlights of the exhibition at Dutch Design Week include ‘Arckit’, a ground-breaking, scaled, freeform modelling system allowing architects to physically explore designs and bring their projects to life with speed and precision; cutting edge technology by Novaerus, developers of airborne pathogen control technology, who are working with innovative Irish design consultancy Dolmen on the development of their product range;the work of a number of Oscar nominated and award-winning Irish animation studios; the unveiling of a collaboration between constructed textile designer Claire Anne O’Brien and Ceadogán Rugs; and demonstrations of the unique potential of 3D print technology using the Mcor Iris 3D HD printers, the only 3D printer in the world to use ordinary business-A4/letter paper as the build material.
Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of Irish Design 2015 said: “As an Irish initiative with a global reach, ID2015 offers Irish designers a unique opportunity to highlight the significant role and impact that design has in every facet of life, shining a spotlight on the level of innovation, collaboration and new product development happening in Ireland right now. The business model of showcasing Irish creativity through a touring flagship exhibition is proving successful in generating real commercial opportunities.”
Ms. Hennessy added: “The designers featured in Liminal have the ambition and capability to expand into international markets and the experience and industry knowledge gained from participating in events such as Dutch Design Week will have lasting benefits for the sector as a whole. With continued support and investment in design and working with our partners, ID2015 has the potential to act as a catalyst for significant change in Ireland’s competitiveness in the global marketplace and in creating employment opportunities over the years to come.”
The official launch of Liminal at Dutch Design Week comes at the end of a 4-day visit to Scandinavia and The Netherlands where Minister Nash has been leading a design feasibility study as part of ID2015. The study, which aims to raise the profile of the quality and expertise that characterises the Irish design sector, leading to export growth and ultimately more jobs in Ireland, is a collaboration between ID2015, Enterprise Ireland, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassies of Ireland to Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands.
The study has included high-level meetings with Government Ministries, business meetings with Enterprise Ireland clients, site visits and networking events in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Rotterdam and Eindhoven, providing opportunities for Irish companies in the design sector to meet with leading design companies in the Scandinavian and Dutch markets.
Through an extensive year-long programme, ID2015 is presenting the work of contemporary Irish designers at major international design events and through trade missions and design feasibility studies, developing commercial opportunities and establishing strategic partnerships for the ongoing development of the design sector in Ireland.
Liminal – Irish design at the threshold continues at Dutch Design Week until 25th October. The exhibition will end its journey in Dublin, where it will be on show at the ID2015 Design Hub at the Coach House, Dublin Castle from November 19th until the end of the year.
- Ends -
For further information, please contact:
Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Press Office - 01 631 2200 or press.office@djei.ie
Liminal Curators:
Louise Allen – Head of International Programmes, Irish Design 2015
Alex Milton – Programme Director, Irish Design 2015
Angela O’Kelly - Head of Design for Body and Environment, National College of Art & Design (NCAD), Dublin
For further information on Liminal, see: http://www.irishdesign2015.ie/liminal/
About Irish Design 2015:
Irish Design 2015 (ID2015) is a year-long initiative backed by the Irish government exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design throughout Ireland and internationally in order to drive job creation, grow exports and increase competitiveness. The programme for the year includes presenting the work of Irish designers at high profile events in design capitals including London, Paris, Eindhoven, Milan, New York, Chicago and Hong Kong/Shenzhen. ID2015 is being convened by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), in collaboration with partner organisations, on behalf of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Enterprise Ireland. ID2015 partners include Founding Partners – MCO Projects; Accommodation Partners – The Doyle Collection; Venue Partners – OPW; Exhibition Partners – DAA; Technology Partners – IBM; Transport Partners – Bus Éireann Expressway and Construction Partners – Sisk. www.irishdesign2015.ie
Follow ID2015 on social media:
Instagram: @irishdesign2015 | Twitter: @irishdesign2015
| Facebook: Irish Design 2015 | #ID2015 #irishdesign2015
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