Halle (Saale), June 19th. With his film contribution "Die Rückreise" (Travelling Back), Guy Königstein from Eindhoven has won this year´s Designpreis. Erik de Nijs, also from the Netherlands, won the second prize with "Suited Case". The award, which comes with 5,000 Euro prize money, was awarded on June 19, 2010 at Halle´s old tramway depot in the presence of over 300 guests.

 

"As if they were moved by a magic hand, the yarn spools glide across the paper ? the spools stand for persons. The process of telling a family´s story culminates in a design. And look: what had been mingled and chaotic with no interrelation now shows a clear picture. Coloured lines form the outlines of a family chronicle. The designer is able to precisely and perfectly examine the underlying pattern of lifelines in a nimble and light-hearted way without denying the individual aspect", says Professor Annette Tietenberg who headed the board of judges and gave a laudatory speech for Guy Königstein (27).

 

But the jury were also impressed by 24-year-old Erik de Nijs´ work who won the second prize: "By transforming them into mobile elements of individual domesticity, he gives the gliding pieces of luggage an additional purpose. Wherever there is a hold-up, the luggage pieces can be quickly transformed into a more or less comfortable seat. "Suited case" is a design in its own right and  emphazises decorative aspects. A compact carry-on is turned into a back rest, but the design must nevertheless not be misunderstood as a fully developed blueprint which could go into production tomorrow. It is the vision of a piece of furniture on the go which creates temporary privacy in public spaces, the sketch-like conceptual character of the piece that convinced us", as Thomas Edelmann, member of the board of judges, explains the choice.

 

Two further competition entries were honoured by the jury: Two students from Dortmund, Daniel Behn and Clemens Müller, received a special recognition and a 1,000 Euro travelling voucher for RESI, "a suitcase that ensures safe travelling for Germans abroad". 15 Students from the University of Applied Science Dortmund received a collective special award for a cardboard suitcase which they had designed together to send their competition entries to Halle.

 

Altogether, there had been 166 entries from 13 countries. An exhibition of 19 of these entries that were prized and nominated by the jury is open to the public since the opening night on June 19 at Halle´s historic tramway depot. 

 

"3,000 metres of neon tape and thread were stuck, taped and tightened in the interior and the exterior space of the exhibition site. They thread tradition and modern times; vibrating as they are, they outline the contours of the tram network with its tramway cars, light rail system, routes and  architecture. As an inviting gesture, the illuminated tracks guide the visitor to the exhibition site´s entrance and seduce him to come in and look", explains Designpreis Halle´s curator Professor Vincenz Warnke.

 

Inside, six old tram cars are arranged to form a point. Behind the cars´ windows, the objects are presented in cases and lit by pocket lamps. The exhibition will be open to the public every day until July 4 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.The entry is free.

 

At the same time as Designpreis Halle, a design parcours will be on offer for the first time. A design mobile drives visitors on a fixed route to 15 places in Halle where creative minds from the architecture, design and art fields present a contribution to the competition´s topic, Travel. The design parcours takes place on two Sundays, June 20 and 27, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. For further information and for booklets and tickets please contact the tramway depot at Seebener Straße 191 in Halle (Saale), the design mobile, or call +49 345 2126?385.

 

Designpreis Halle was initiated by a registered society of the same name. Amongst many others, its members are the Craft Guild of Halle, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Halle-Dessau, the Industrie-Club Mitteldeutschland zu Halle e.V., the Marketing Club Halle e.V., as well as Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. The initiative is supported by the City of Halle.

Designpreis Halle is mainly funded by enterprises based in Halle and central Germany.

 

The date for the next Designpreis Halle will be 2013. The president, Professor Peter Heimann, has some very concrete plans: "There will be even more on offer: Alongside the award ceremony, exhibition and design parcours, a congress with international experts in the field will take place".

 

                                                                                                            04/2010

Antje Bauer
business manager Designpreis Halle (Saale) e. V.
c/o IHK Halle-Dessau
Franckestr. 5
06110 Halle (Saale) Germany

Phone +49 (345) 2126-385
Fax +49 (345) 2126-206
Email: info{at}designpreis-halle.de