” Post Fossil ” : excavating 21st century creation – a dynamic new design exhibition curated by internationally renowned trend-forecaster Li Edelkoort, opened on the 27th January, 2011 at Design Museum Holon.

Lidewij Edelkoort is renowned for her visionary eye, explaining that we are at the dawn of a post-fossil era: – “ Nature is a dominant ingredient in this movement, although no longer used in a naïve and aspiring ecological language, but as a mature philosophy fit for a newer age. Like a Fred Flintstone of tomorrow.”

Li Edelkoort ( photo shay ben efraim )

The exhibition presents the work of over 60 contemporary designers from around the world, illustrating how the design of the future can be inspired by the archaic aesthetics, organic materials and poetic techniques of the past. The exhibition includes works from innovative designers such as Pieke Bergmans (the Netherlands), Nacho Carbonell (Spain), Arik Levy (Israel), Tomás Libertiny (Slovakia), Peter Marigold (United Kingdom), Tanja Saeter (Norway) and Studio Job (the Netherlands) and Boaz Cohen (Israel).

Galit Gaon, chief curator of Design Museum Holon says, “Edelkoort has assembled a selection of future fossils, based on the understanding that one of the best ways to study design is through the analysis of archaeological relics. In contrast to the common perception of future design as technological and interactive, ‘Post Fossil’ enables us to examine the future by gazing back to the past and to re-experience the primal encounter between man, matter and basic forms”.

In the wake of the global economic crisis, the period of glamorous and streamlined design for design’s sake has come to an end. This exhibition seeks to review the value systems constructed over the previous century by showcasing objects by a new breed of designers creating work that challenges and overturns our conventional notions of design. The exhibiting designers are retracing the steps of human history and going back to the primitive roots of the very act of making things. They are redesigning shelter and tools as well as lifestyle, incorporating elements from nature into materials and the creation process.

About Li Edelkoort

Lidewij Edelkoort is a trend forecaster, curator, publisher and educator who constantly lives in the future. Edelkoort’s work has pioneered trend forecasting as a profession, providing design and lifestyle analysis for the world’s leading brands.

Edelkoort’s magazines, View on Colour, INview and Bloom have been highly influential in the creative industries for nearly two decades. More recently, her work has evolved into the realms of education at the Design Academy Eindhoven where she was Chairwoman from 1999 to 2008, humanitarianism within the Heartwear craft foundation she co-founded in 1993, and curatorial work as she delves into the art and design domain, illuminating museums and exhibits around the world.

Design Museum Holon, Israel

Designed by world-renowned architect Ron Arad, Design Museum Holon was inaugurated in March 2010 and has quickly established itself as the most exciting recent development to emerge in the Middle East. The Museum is part of an urban regeneration initiative which aims to transform the City of Holon into a centre for design.

Central to Design Museum Holon‘s mission is to supply an enriching and thought-provoking environment for visitors to explore exciting and engaging design ideas, principles, processes and objects in a tactile and practical fashion.

Following four years of construction, the greatly anticipated Design Museum Holon was inaugurated in March 2010. Ron Arad’s award-winning building recognised internationally for its five sinuous bands of rust coloured COR-TEN steel is the pinnacle of Holon’s sixteen-year urban regeneration programme, a process which is transforming the Israeli city into a global epicentre for culture and education.

Design Museum Holon‘s mission is to explore the impact of design and the relationship of design to urban spaces and every day life. The museum is committed to pioneering a creative arena for the exploration and examination of design principles and interpretations. As a leading hub for innovation in the field of design in Israel and the world, it strives to foster international dialogue, highlighting the importance of quality design and its relevance to our lives.

The project was initiated by Holon’s Mayor, Motti Sasson and Managing Director, Hana Hertsman who invited Ron Arad to create an iconic building, which would provide visitors with an immersive design environment.

Ron Arad comments: “Holon is a city which is re-inventing itself culturally, with ambitious plans that are investing a lot into culture. The concept of this museum in the Middle Eastern sun is just one instance. The city was brave enough to give Ron Arad Architects the design task and I hope that it is received well by the Municipality and the public.”

Hana Hertsman, comments: “Design Museum Holon not only highlights the role of design and culture in Holon’s day-to-day life, but also the city’s influence globally; I believe it will be a beacon within Israel and far beyond.”

The museum joins Holon’s Mediatheque, a cultural centre which includes the National Cartoon Museum, repertoire theatre with original productions, cinematheque, material library and public library.

The annual programme, developed by the Museum’s Creative Director Galit Gaon and the exhibition committee, presents site-specific exhibitions by invited international curators as well as travelling exhibitions. In addition an interactive archive with digital components is being developed for the theoretical and practical research of design as well as a historical Israeli collection. This will lay the foundation for Design Museum Holon’s permanent collection which will be unveiled in five to seven years.

Galit Gaon, Creative Director, comments: “The city of Holon is part of a young country, putting substantial investment towards an innovative cultural body. I welcome the route the city has taken to support design, education and community, choosing design as a means of expression and action for Holon. We are not seeking to describe the difference between our new Design Museum and others around the world but to sharpen a unique point of view which will enable our visitors to experience different aspects of design methodology.”

Ron Arad’s design for the museum demonstrates an extremely sculptural approach, combining ingenuous and playful functionality with highly visual design. In reference to his approach he says: “Every project is unique; each one invites a different response. When we started working on Design Museum Holon, it was like a white canvas, things developed and a direction was formed. We created a hierarchy of outdoor spaces so you walk in under the building into a semi-covered yard, where you have a choice to take the air-conditioned route or one exposed to the elements. The building envelope is not just a pretty space; it’s also a structure.”

Design Museum Holon accommodates two primary galleries and a number of diverse alternative exhibition and education spaces in-between. The Upper Gallery (500m²) celebrates the abundance of natural light in Israel and the qualities it can bring to the display of three-dimensional objects, while allowing curatorial flexibility by modulating light levels. The smaller, Lower Gallery, (250m²) is taller inside but offers a more intimate, personal relationship between the visitor and the object on display.

Asa Bruno, Supervising Architect, comments: “Working together from such an early stage of development has enabled us to find answers to the question of the relationship between curatorial space and public circulation. We were able to capitalise on the potential space between the curves of the bands so that all the surfaces around the galleries and public facilities would fit comfortably in and in many cases, created bonus galleries. The bands form a visual key that carries visitors into the building, through it and then out; the bands instantly become a string that ties the whole building together inside and out.’’

concept was originally shown in tokyo for Design 21: 21