Stimuleringsfonds

In the first round of Internationalization of the Design Sector 2022, 14 projects were selected. Roxanne Minten, coordinator of the Internationalization of the Design Sector Grant Scheme, reflects on the round.

21 April 2022

general impression

The Internationalization of the Design Sector Grant Scheme is open to projects from the three fields of work that the Fund represents – design, architecture and digital culture – and to projects that can also take place worldwide. As a result, the diversity of proposals is usually high. Proposals this round included research into textiles and denim, urban design research and international contributions to festivals, presentations and exhibitions. The projects are being carried out in collaboration with foreign partners and take place in Germany, Japan, France, Italy and Belgium, among others. All the positively assessed applications received grants in this round. A few notable projects include:

This is not a temporary solution if it works – Le Signe
Le Signe in Chaumont in France has invited Dutch designer Gilles de Brock for a retrospective presentation that ranges from his early graphic work to his latest research on ceramic tiles. De Brock addresses the question: What forms can graphic design take? What path does a graphic designer take to create objects? The exhibition It is not a temporary solution if it works provides an insight into De Brock’s creations and the idea of DIY in graphic design. De Brock is developing new work for this purpose and is collaborating with French scenographer Pernelle Poyet for the design of the exhibition. In addition to the exhibition, there will be an extensive programme for the public that includes a workshop for children, a summer school for students, lectures with Studio ThusThat among others, and more. Finally, Le Signe’s annual publication in 2022 will be dedicated to DIY in graphic design. The exhibition period runs from May to October 2022.

KAMI – 神 – Nature Spirit or Holy Force – Hozan Zangana studio
Hozan Zangana was asked by Akita Prefecture (Japan) and the local crafts council to design a new collection using their traditional urushi lacquer. Lacquering is a traditional craft that is in danger of being lost due to a lack of new artisans. The first phase will include a study of the urushi lacquering technique and trials and models will be made. During this process, close contact (digital and when possible physical) is maintained with the artisans in Akita to test the various possibilities. The result is a collection that will be presented in the form of an exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. Subsequently, this collection will be exhibited internationally, including in the Netherlands. The ultimate aim is to share knowledge and make it available as open source. The project is a collaboration between Hozan Zangana studio and local lacquer company Kawatsura Shikki, Akita local government / Amana Inc. and design firm Studio The Future. The first results of this project are expected to be shared in 2023.

Soundings Across the South – Budhaditya
With the project Soundings Across the South, Budhaditya Chattopadhyay focuses on the underrepresentation of makers and artistic practices from South Asia, the Middle East (South-West Asia) and several non-Western indigenous communities. Chattopadhyay believes that in the field of sound and media art both in the Netherlands and in other European countries, there is little representation of makers from the above areas. In collaboration with a number of Dutch and international partners, a five-day meeting will be organized at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. The sessions will consist of workshops designed to draw attention to the current lack of critical engagement from the ‘South’ in sound, media and music discourses. In addition, a forum will be created to increase the visibility of artistic practices from these regions. Through these gatherings, Chattopadhyay aims to put makers from South Asia and the Middle East (South-West Asia) at the centre of the field of media arts, with the accompanying artistic sensibilities and aesthetics. The main collaboration partners are: MeLê Yamomo – lecturer in theatre studies at the University of Amsterdam, and Sandeep Bhagwati – composer of classical music and lecturer based in Germany. With input from the sessions, Budhaditya Chattopadhyay plans to develop a publication. The event will take place in Berlin in late August 2022.

You can see the entire selection here.

numbers

Of the 23 subsidy applications taken into consideration, 14 are receiving grants, and that includes 3 starting grants. This brings the percentage of applications receiving grants to 61%. The closing date for the next round of Internationalization of the Design Sector is 3 May 2022.