December 9, 2014

Sustainable Dutch Design Exhibits at Royal Netherlands Embassy



Ragchair Tejo Remy


Rag Chair by Tejo Remy of Droog. Photo courtesy of Droog.


“Reuse, Retouch, ReDutch!” These imperatives are the title of a pop-up exhibit slated for December 14 at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C., highlighting pragmatic and innovative examples of sustainable Dutch design.


Designed by Dutch studio

Yksi Expo

, the exhibition will feature green household products within three broad design themes targeting aspects of everyday life: travel, interiors, and clothing/accessories. Most items originate from recycled materials, but the exhibition also includes other products crafted by Dutch designers. “This exhibit showcases clever solutions to the issues of our time, allowing us to appreciate beauty in almost everything we throw away,” says an embassy representative.


Over 50 products will communicate the Netherlands’ proclivity for green innovation and sustainability. The exhibit organizers chose items with clever solutions to save energy and waste, like clocks that run on the energy in soil or shoes that completely biodegrade, growing into plants after decomposing in the soil.


Backed by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the exhibition is part of the

Dutch embassy’s Holland on the Hill series

, a renewed effort to strengthen ties between the Netherlands and the United States and highlight the countries’ shared values of freedom, justice, and entrepreneurship.


A symposium and reception on December 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. will feature remarks from renowned scrap wood designer Piet Hein Eek, sustainable design pioneers Tejo Remy & René Veenhuizen, and Yksi Expo co-owner Leonne Cuppen, who will speak of their recent work and Dutch involvement in green design.



Bottles Klaas Kuiken


Green Bottles by Klaas Kuiken. Photo courtesy of Droog.








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