Duos en Résonances
Expo from December 6th through February 22nd
MAD Brussels ends the year with Duos en Résonances, an exhibition that aims to strengthen the dialogue between craft and design. Over the past months, six different duos of craft artists and designers worked together on a joint project. As of December, the duos are exhibiting their results at the Brussels Center for Fashion and Design. Starting from molded glass wafers to embroidery based on a computer-generated pattern, the result of the various collaborations turned out to be unique projects.
Duos en Résonances
Duos en Résonances is a project of Wallonie Design created in 2017. Since 2020, it has received support from the Sofina&Boël Fund for Education and Talent. For six months, six duos of craft artists and designers work on the development of a joint project or idea. The designer gets to work directly with an expert in materials and techniques. In turn, the artisan discovers a different approach or working method that challenges him to step outside his daily professional practice.
The aim of Duos and Résonances is not to create a finished commercial product, but for the duos to delve into material research and innovative techniques of another craft. The collaboration focuses on the exchange of experiences, joint reflection and experimentation so that both craft artists and designers can further develop their own profession and skills.
From December 6th, the results of these collaborations will be exhibited to the general public at MAD Brussels. Supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the scenography of the expo was entrusted to Brussels-based design studio Studio Plastique. The scenography will reflect the experimental nature of the project, showing not only the results but also the ambitions and interests, the experiments and the research.
The six duos
After a call for applications, six duos were formed who would each embark on their own unique project. From glass wafers to a new lighting element to an experimental stool. The duo Angel Barrero and Julien Renault wanted to apply the technique of marble stucco to a free form. By departing from the habits imposed by technique and approaching the material in a rougher and more radical way, they offer a new view of a careful and meticulous practice that dates back to the 16th century. The collaboration between Kenny Damian and Flora Miranda highlights a form of interconnected duality between computer-generated pattern and hand-embroidery. In turn, Etienne Guillaume and Duplex Studio (Gaston Golstein) translated the pisé technique from construction to the production of an object. During the course of the project, they questioned the life cycle and the end of the useful life of a finished piece of raw earth.
The collaboration between Frederik Rombach and Unfold (Claire Warnier and Dries Verbruggen), is based on the symbolism of the Belgian waffle. By moulding waffles out of glass, they playfully demonstrate how they fit together and become connectors with other materials. Furthermore, the duo Julien Moermans and Alice Pilastre investigated the lifespan of tapestries and their materials. By omitting certain finishes and fraying the carpet, its structure will evolve through use and eventually disappear. Lastly, the duo John Dierickx and Frederik Delbart deconstruct the familiar traits of two-dimensional stained-glass and reimagine them as three-dimensional objects, uncovering new perspectives and surprising angles along the way.
In summary, the six participating duos are:
- Julien Renault (product designer) & Angel Barrero (plasterer)
- Unfold (designers/researchers) & Frederik Rombach (glassblower)
- Gaston Golstein (industrial designer at Duplex Studio) & Étienne Guillaume (specialist in raw soil at Elementerre)
- Flora Miranda (fashion designer) & Kenny Damian (embroiderer)
- Frederik Delbart (industrial designer) & John Dierickx (stained glass at Studio Artglas)
- Alice Pilastre (textile designer) & Julien Moermans (tufter)
Practical information
06.12.2024 - 22.02.2025: Duos en Résonances
The exhibition takes place at MAD Brussels: Nieuwe Graanmarkt 10, 1000 Brussels. The exhibition is open to the public free of charge from Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
Images can be downloaded immediately by clicking on the images in the press release. For more information or interview requests, please contact: