The Dutch Design Center in Dubai has partnered with Dutch initiative NExAR. This powerful collaboration proudly presents ‘Dutch Design’ by Studio Mieke Meijer and Olivier van Herpt.

Olivier van Herpt and Studio Mieke Meijer, by Dutch Design Center & NE-AR
13-17 November | 10am-10pm
18 November | 10am-7pm
Ground Floor, Building 6, Dubai Design District (d3)

The Dutch Design Center in Dubai has partnered with Dutch initiative NExAR. This powerful collaboration proudly presents ‘Dutch Design’ by Studio Mieke Meijer and Olivier van Herpt.

Studio Mieke Meijer is a collaboration between Mieke Meijer and Roy Letterlé. They work on self-initiated and commissioned projects in the field of furniture, lighting and product design from their workshop in Eindhoven (The Netherlands). Rational construction, tangible materiality and tectonic detailing are the fundamentals of the studio’s strong and recognisable signature. These specific characteristics often relate directly to their architectural references.
Studio Mieke Meijer applies both traditional and modern materials and aspires design solutions that both reflect the logic of the construction and respects material properties, without losing artistic freedom. Craftsmanship and CNC production methods are equally important in the well-equipped workshop where most designs are being produced in small series or limited editions.

Olivier van Herpt works at the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary industrial design. He focuses on the technology separating these two domains, i.e., the machine.
Unhappy with the limitations of existing 3D printers, both in scale and degree of achievable detail, Van Herpt—with endless patience and curiosity—designed a machine capable of printing forms many times bigger, more complex, and more delicate that anything possible thus far. When executing a new design, Van Herpt first investigates the best type and composition of the clay to be used and then makes a digital 3D drawing. His machine, with a printhead controlled by a robot, then continuously extrudes layer upon layer of malleable clay. His accomplishment is not merely technical, but also aesthetic. Using his 3D printer, he has developed a new visual language, creating attractive forms and textures that evoke science fiction, origami designs, traditional weaving, cacti, or ancient weathered rock.
Van Herpt wants the technologies he develops, now and in the future, to be available to everyone. He hopes this will make production more democratic, reduce the distance between designer and user, and maybe even have them coalesce.

Dutch Design Center in partnership with NE-AR

Dutch Design Center
The Dutch Design Center is an inspiring online and offline platform for the best and latest of Dutch design that aims to spark unique collaborations internationally.
Building an inclusive and dynamic community is one of the Dutch Design Center’s main strategic priorities; to exchange knowledge, educate, unlock business opportunities and innovate across borders.

From its first physical location in Dubai Design District, d3, the Middle East’s leading design destination, the Dutch Design Center orchestrates boutique exhibitions, noteworthy keynote speeches, creative workshops and unique collaborations.
The Dutch Design Center is a collaborative effort of leading Dutch firms: Hunter Douglas, Keller Kitchens, Royal Ahrend and Skyne.

NE-AR
As design is a creative and very open-minded discipline, we believe design is the way to create cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary relationships that inspire entrepreneurial enterprise. NExAR’s objective is the development of sustainable relationships between the Dutch and Arab Design communities, through the act of sharing, discussion and implementation of

Since 2012, NExAR has been organising a network of like-minded designers by facilitating exhibitions, lectures and workshops. As an intermediary between the Netherlands and the Arab world, we empower people and organisations to work across cultures and to learn from each other’s perspectives and experiences.

DDC and NE-AR are members of Dutch Creative Industry (DCI). DCI is a strategic and unique three year partnership of several Dutch creative industry companies with the Dutch government. It was commissioned by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and Dutch embassies and focuses on the UAE and Lebanon. The Dutch Creative Industry is a platform representing the Netherlands and aims to show their unique and collaborative way of working. By partnering with local companies, DCI aims to respond to new opportunities and challenges. Quality, reliability, stability and creating state-of-the art products and services, are all at the core of the DCI’s activities.