Exhibition Piet Hein Eek LIMITED
28 January through 9 March
Open Monday – Saturday 10:00-18:00
Free entrance
In 1993, when I was still Piet Hein and before I became a brand, ‘Piet Hein Eek’ was represented by the Serieuze Zaken (Serious Business) Gallery in Amsterdam. Rob Malasch, the owner, and art connoisseur, had decided or predicted that design was or would become art, and wanted to exhibit the salvaged wood cupboard and a couple more of our products (we made a lot of other unique objects) at the arts exhibition ‘kunstRAI’. That was quite an innovative idea, as was apparent from the length of time the ballot committee needed before deciding in our favour. Design being sold as art became more and more accepted in the years after. The more fashionable it became, the less I liked it. The ultimate challenge is in designing a product with the limited resources at your disposal, for a reasonable price, and not making just a single piece, and using that to justify the ridiculously high price (I have a thing about that). For years, our dealers asked for exclusive, limited products, to which my answer was invariably that a good design made in a series is ultimately much more valuable.
The present crisis seems to have dissipated the trend, and opportunists can no longer earn a living in the field of limited pieces and unique items. And that is all the reason I need to start doing it again. I have a nasty suspicion that I like doing the very thing no-one else is anyway, regardless of the reason. Somewhat pragmatic I know, and to many aggravatingly stubborn, but if you do or think what everyone is doing or thinking, the chance of success is much more limited. Add to that the fact that I abhor the common herd, which is not a problem, since it doesn’t involve offending anyone in particular.
For the catalogue (only available in Dutch), click here.
This post is also available in: NL
« Back to blog