Named after the designer and architect who helped to usher Art Nouveau into Belgium, the three awards are given to a company, a young designer and to a designer for an entire career. It’s the latter that makes headlines, and this year that went to Martine Gyselbrecht, whose weaves and warps have been changing the landscape of textiles for more than 30 years (pictured left). Based in East Flanders, she is the kind of designer who marries art and design perfectly, with a technical skill enhanced by decades of fearless experimentation.
The young designer award, meanwhile, coveted as you can imagine for its ability to open doors, was won by Jorge Manilla Navarete, a jewellery maker whose work evokes myth and spirituality. Born in Mexico, Navarete came here to study several years ago, and his natural materials and earth colours indeed call up the essence of his homeland. He also seems to poke fun at the notion of “fine jewellery”, almost daring you to wear his primitive designs of stone, wood, bone and fish skin. (pictured right)
The gorgeous seating of Drisag was overdue for a Van de Velde, but it finally got its due. You’ll find the work of the Herentalsbased furniture design and manufacturing company scattered across offices in Europe and even in fashionable kitchens where splashes of colours are appreciated.
The OVAM Ecodesign Award is now also part of the Van de Velde awards, and its Product on the Market went to Sas Adriaenssens for his “Buzzispace” products, including the Buzziscreen and Buzzizone space separators. The Ecodesign award for Product in Development went to the Beci Bike Project by Fosfor, the bicycle leasing concept for the city of Brussels.
At the Van de Velde exhibition, you’ll also find new products that have been given the “Henry van de Velde Labels”, a designation of excellence. Of these, visitors can vote for their favourite for next year’s Public Prize. This year’s Public Prize winner is Frederik Aerts for his Neo set of pans, which he designed for Berghoff International.
See more on career award-winner Martine Gyselbrecht on page 16
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