Library of Experiments II – FORMAT. Changing Attitudes

Abstract

FORMAT is the coaching trajectory organized by Z33 for new and promising talent working in design and architecture. Every year, several designers are given the opportunity to enhance their artistic practice and to share knowledge and networks with one another. After a year of intensive coaching, all the designs are brought together in a group exhibition. Time and space are essential components of this learning process, enabling the participants to explore boundaries and unconventional approaches. Z33 is a refuge where free experimentation, learning and failing come together.

For the graphic design of the campaign and catalogue of the exhibition Format, Janneke Janssen started off with the title and subtitle of the exhibition, Changing Attitudes. She designed one ‘blue print’ that contains the total design of the campaign, which can be de-constructed and reformed by recycling its parts, keeping the same ratio’s. The implications of using a Riso duplicator, its limitation of two colours and folding and cutting the material, led to a process-based design methodology. The material and the design is used as a changing platform that can be divided or contracted and expanded. The publication contains sketches of the laureates projects and gives an inside into their (changing) attitudes towards design- and thinking processes. By giving inside into the process next to the final exhibited projects, the visitors’ perspective on the work and discern can be changed too, while looking, exploring and moving through the exhibition and the book from one point to the other. As an extra contextual and narrative layer in the book and exhibition, augmented reality is applied. Design and architecture are anything but gratuitous. The new edition of FORMAT centres on this crucial insight. The laureates of the group exhibition are adopting an almost activist approach at Z33. With ground-breaking concepts, they challenge visitors to reflect on news, fashion, microbial clouds, herbal medicine, residual space, artificial intelligence, weaving techniques, ruins and radio masts. To this end, they have forged alliances with experts both within and outside their fields and they challenge us to rethink the classical methods of design.

Laureates: Cream on Chrome (Martina Huynh & Jonas Nepomuk), Lukas Claessens, Amandine David, Matthijs De Block, Sophia Holst, Legrand Jäger (Guillemette Legrand & Eva Jäger), Flora Miranda, Inès Leverrier Péborde, Bert Villa Graphic design: Janneke Janssen Scenography: Bram Vanderbeke Curator: Heleen Van Loon Photo's: Selma Gurbuz