DE51GN

De51gn speaks to famous Dutch designer Richard Hutten at the launch of his latest collection Atomes d’Argent collection for French luxury brand Christofle Paris at Chill Out Bar in Dubai.

Richard Hutten with his Works in use book

Hutten, one of the founding members of the seminal design collective Droog, has worked with such brands as Moooi, Muji and Sawaya & Moroni to name a few. Last year, we visited his solo exhibition at the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam, where his harbour-side studio his based. Hailed as the new Rietveld, Hutten’s work has been exhibited in major museums around the world including Vitra design Museum Weil am Rhein, Design Museum London, MoMA New York and San Francisco, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Centraal Museum Utrecht, Design museum Lisboa and Neue Sammlung, Munich .

Atomes d’Argent collection for Christofle Paris

Having recently been appointed the new creative director of Gispen Office furniture, Hutten aims to introduce a new genre of working spaces with his cutting-edge yet extremely practical style. He has also recently designed cutlery for Royal VKB, fabric for Väveriet as well as the interiors of MVRDV architects Parkrand building in Amsterdam, MGH2O shop, Lloyd hotel bar and the office interior of the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam among others.

Always dressed in chic Martin Margiela or Comme des Garçon, that he picks up from his girlfriend’s boutique– the über trendy MgH2O boutique(a combination of magnesium and water that apparently results in fire and designed by Hutten of course)– Hutten could be mistaken for a rock musician or a punk-rocker as his good friend and fellow designer Michael Young calls him. It has been an extremely busy year so far for Hutten with several exciting projects world-wide such as Malaysia, Shanghai and at home in Rotterdam including a massive parking garage that he intends to convert in to his new residences and a new funky hotel. Events such as Salone, ICFF and Art Basel too have kept this publicity-shy designer jetting around the world. At the recently concluded Design Miami/ Basel, Brad Pitt bought many pieces including one by Hutten. It’s surprising then, that he still finds time to go to Shanghai for the upcoming 100% Design Shanghai to be held from June 26-28 and spends as much time as possible with his two young boys Abel and Boris.

Interiors of MgH20 by Richard Hutten

D: What is the inspiration behind your latest Layers collection?
RH: I call it the punk approach. It comprises seven pieces of furniture that are produced by hand and in a limited edition in my own workshop, and no effort is being taken to cover up the traces of that rough manual work – on the contrary. The title of the show, Layers, refers to the fact that each of the pieces is built in layers, each in its own way, which also has to be read as a statement, a plea for more depth in the design world.

Muybridge chair from The Layers collection

A table and cupboard have been built from layers of blue Styrofoam, commonly used by architects when designing models for buildings and concepts, an association that conveys an abstract aura to the pieces. Built around an invisible frame, and topped with a dripping coating of resin, the table looks extremely light, despite the fact that its legs seem to suggest skyscrapers. Prinses op de Erwt, named after the princess that could feel a pea through a heap of mattresses, consists of seven mattresses, each made from another precious sort of damask, that can be stacked arbitrarily or in the shape of a bed. Muybridge is a chair named after the pioneer of photography Eadweard Muybridge.

Being a passionate photographer myself, I had a series of pictures taken of me in profile while I got up from a seated position and had this one single movement captured in 53 shots, according to the technique devised by Muybridge. The pictures were then enlarged and laser-cut in MDF slabs that were glued to each other in the order in which they were taken. Thus a chair was created, in which one literally sits on the my lap! My upper legs are the seat, while the torso is the back, and the movement of raising the body also creates an armrest. Time has transformed into furniture.

Table and chair from The Layers collection

Then there is also a table of which the legs are composed by layers of books, piled upon eachother. It is probably the piece that explains the philosophy behind the collection best. A book is all about layers– layers of meaning. This collection is about objects and what we can read in them. Design is not only about beautiful forms, but also about the stories an object can tell. I positioned myself as an artist in this collection, and therefore also as an anthropologist and sociologist, trying to stir up the discussion and discourse on objects. But the fun of making these objects was equally important.

D: What did you think was the highlight at this year’s Salone?
RH: There was not really one highlight (if you don’t include my shows, laughs). I liked the piece of Jurgen Bey for Tichelaar, the Myto chair by Konstantin Grcic for Plank, the Rotterdam chair of Hella Jongerius for Vitra, and a few more pieces including the show of Established & Sons and the new pieces of Michael Young.

D: Dutch designers are at the forefront of the contemporary design industry. As a founding member of the highly admired Droog collective, how do you think has the industry evolved over the years?
RH: This question alone could be the whole interview. Since Droog, the industry has changed a lot for sure and since their first show in 1993 the scope of design has grown a lot in terms of quality. It created diversity, a wide perspective, and more freedom. This is a big contribution. Not for nothing Droog was the biggest influence in design since 1993. Youngsters around the world started to design ‘Droog’ (for the good and the bad) and not for nothing four of the initial seven designers in the first Droog show became design superstars. Since Droog started, not only the slick minimalist designs with only nice forms have been produced, but a wide diversity has been added, and is also being produced. The Dutch were also able to counter the comments of the early days– these designs can not be produced– with the emerging market of limited editions.

D: What are some of the projects you are working on at the moment, besides Gispen who have appointed you as their creative director?
RH: Currently I’m working on over 20 projects, mainly for existing clients: silverware for Christofle Paris, USB sticks for Kikkerland NY, Stationary for MUJI Japan, lightning for Moooi, cutlery for Royal VKB, fabric for Vaveriet from Sweden, interiors for the Boijmans van Beuningen museum, Rotterdam and the Gemeentemuseum The Hague and many others.

D: You are very popular in Asia, especially Korea, China and Japan. While Japan already has a successful design culture, in China and Korea, it’s developing fast. (Hutten has been invited as one of the guest speakers at this year’s 100% Design Shanghai) What do you find fascinating about these places?
RH: My popularity in China and Korea has not come anywhere near my succes in Japan. What I like about these places is the enormous amount of energy you feel there, and the openness for the new resources they have, combined with their long history.

D: You are known for your innovative designs and also for the use of innovative materials. How do you start your design process‐ with the concept first or the choice of material?
RH: ‘Form follows concept’ was one of my adagium of years ago. This is still valid. Of course a concept can be material related. If, for example I work for a company like Christofle Paris, the material should be part of the concept, since they are only dealing with silver. So material, or process can be a concept, but the concept is always leading. Innovative use of materials starts with ideas.

Vase from Atomes d’ Argent Christofle Paris

D: Although designers often say that form follows function, recently they have eschewed the dictum by designing pieces that are purely ornamental, as seen at this year’s Salone. Has design moved away from its purpose of ’solving problems’ and adopted a more wanton approach? Are designers turning into artists?

RH: Design is one of the arts, so designers are artists. But if designers make objects which can’t be used, then they are not making design, and this should not be considered as design. Maybe it’s decoration, maybe it’s art, but definitely not design. I find it very strange that this work is shown in a design environment, like the Salone. Design should not be about problem solving, per se. I don’t solve problems, I create possibilities. But it should have a use. That’s the essence of design. By changing the size of a daily object (like Claes Oldenburg did) or changing it’s material (like Meret Oppenheimer did) you enter the field of sculpture, not design, and should be judged by criteria applicable to sculpture not design. Like my hero Gerrit Rietvelt once stated, “Sometimes art escapes…”.

D: How would you describe Dubai and all that’s happening here?

RH: First of all I must say I don’t know Dubai very well but from the two visits that I have made there, I like it very much. It’s very dynamic. There are really a lot of exciting and interesting projects going on. But what I miss, is the adventure and the mystery. It’s always a bit on the safe side and therefore tends to be boring. Their should be more contrast. More ideas. Even if they have a sharp edge.

Richard Hutten with his favourite piece from the Atomes d’Argent collection

D: Do you have a favourite iconic design?

RH: No, I don’t. There are many, many super designs. By stating one as the best, I would disqualify many others.

D: How would you describe a good design?

RH: If a design is good you don’t ask questions, you simply enjoy.