NASZ Press Release

Design September Brussels 19 Sept. – 2 Oct. 2014

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NASZ

Design September Brussels 19/9 - 2/10/2014

L’Ancienne Nonciature rue des Sablons / Zavelstraat 7 B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

Organiser: Culture.pl and Pro Materia as part of:Nasza Polska – the Open Form of Polish Design

Curators: Gosia and Tomek Rygalik /Studio Rygalik

NASZ NASZ is a low-key, cross-sectional collection of modern design that comprises items designed and manufactured in Poland. It presents the result of a research project initiated by the curators with a keen interest in exploring material culture through the prism of resourcefulness acquired in times of shortage. A number of renowned figures in the fields of product design, graphics, illustration, typography and multimedia as well as design students, producers and craftsmen were asked to join in with the venture.

The unique projects created especially for the exhi-bition are the result of experimenting with industrial processes and questioning the material properties and structure of objects. Some of these act as a mod-ification of products available on the market, others have been brought to life for this very event.

The NASZ collection comprises chairs, arm-chairs, cabinets, lamps, tables and tabletop pro-ducts, and includes some internationally recognized classics. The NASZ exhibition is part of a program for promoting Polish design organized by Culture.pl.

NASZ designers: Wojciech Bajor, Antoni Bielawski, Stefan Bieńkowski, Marek Cecuła, Fontarte, Agata Hoffa, Paweł Jasiewicz, Jakub Jezierski, Piotr Kuchciński, Agata Nowicka, Małgorzata Pepłowska, Gosia Rygalik, Tomek Rygalik, Jakub Sobiepanek, Wojtek Tomaszewski, Julia Wilman

NASZ Manufacturers: Bajo, Balma, Ćmielów, Noti, Paged, PROFim, Vini Design, VzórNASZ app: Circus Digitalis

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Partners: True Living of Art & Design

Nasz Collection © Ernest Winczyk

Culture.pl provides daily fresh information on the most exciting Polish cultural events worldwide. It is the biggest and most comprehensive source of knowledge about Polish culture – apart from event listings for Poland and beyond, it boasts a wealth of artist bios, reviews, essays, synopses and profiles of cultural institutions. A special section dedicated to Polish design includes information about the latest trends, works and projects. For over a decade now, the culture.pl website has been operated by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute – a national cultural institution aiming to strengthen Polish culturalimpact and to benefit international cultural exchange.

Pursuing its mission, the Adam Mickiewicz Insti-tute has been instrumental in presenting Polish cul-ture at leading galleries, theatres, clubs and festivals in cooperation with key partners: Bozar, La Monnaie, Edinburgh International Festival, Southbank Centre, Barbican Centre, National Theatre, Whitechapel Gallery, London Design Festival, Martin Gropius Bau, Teatro Real, The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Golden Mask Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Center and many more. The 4,000 projects carried out by the Institute so far include major cultural events in various countries, among them the Polish Year in Israel, POLSKA! YEAR in the UK, and the International Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency. Moreover, the Institute has launched several exciting ongoing projects: a programme pro-moting Polish design worldwide, the East European Performing Arts Platform, the I, CULTURE Orches-tra, Polska Music and Project Asia to name but a few.

To find out more about our projects and explore Pol-ish culture further, please visit us at www.culture.pl and subscribe to our newsletter.

Pro Materia was founded in 1999 by Lise Coirier as a Brussels-based international design consultancy agency. With fifteen years of experience in the design and creative industries, Pro Materia has curated and promoted the rise of Belgian design: Authentic Belgium Creativity in Milan, thewhitehotel Belgian Designers Rooms, Designr-rdv, the label design.be and Belgium is Design / Design for Mankind at Grand-Hornu Images and the release of reference books such as Design in Belgium 1945-2000, Im-perfect by Design, Belgium is Design. In 2008, Pro Materia launched a series of important EU-cultural networks such as the human-centered urban de-sign platform Human Cities and Glass is Tomorrow – bridging talents and competencies in the fields of glass making and design. Both long-term proj-ects, which have received distinctions of excellence respectively, are supported by the European Union Creative Europe Programme. In parallel to design research and exploration – contemporary crafts and social innovation – Pro Materia has worked closely with the biannual design magazine TLmag, True Liv-ing of Art & Design, for the past 5-years – produc-ing special editions, curated events and exhibitions such as Nasza Polska, Intersections 3 at the Atomium and Paris-based Design Pool gallery.www.promateria.be

Studio Rygalik was established in 2006 by Tomek Rygalik. For the first two years it functioned between London and Lodz, Tomek’s hometown. Since 2009 the Studio is based in Warsaw. This is when Gosia Rygalik joined the team to become a partner in 2012. Studio Rygalik develops a wide variety of comprehensive projects. The focus is on furniture, products and spaces. The scope is wide – from design, development and implementation of new products to site-specific installations and production of limited editions, as well as objects, dining experiences and workshops that explore the relations of design, food and eating. The team remains on the fringe of distinctly commercial activities, while en-gaging in cultural practices and building its experimental identity. The work includes projects for ABR, Absolut, Artek, Bozar, Comforty, Dupont/Corian, Heal’s, Heineken, Ideal Standard, Iker, Moroso, Noti, Pfleiderer, ProfiM, Siemens and EU Presidency. Over the last few years the work was exhibited in Berlin, Frankfurt, Lodz, London, Milan, Munich, New York, Tokyo, Poznan, Warsaw, Valencia and Vienna. It was also published inter-nationally in magazine articles and press features, including Icon, Interni, Wallpaper, Experimenta, Blueprint, New York Times and Financial Times.www.studiorygalik.com

Tomek Rygalik was born in Lodz in 1976. He studied architecture at the Technical University of Lodz for two years and then graduated from Indus-trial Design at the Pratt Institute in New York (1999 BA/Hons). After his studies he worked with several design companies in New York city and the area - consulting for clients including Kodak, Polarioid, MTV, Perkinelmer, Dentsply, Unilever, Dupont etc. In 2003 he came to the Royal College of Art for post graduate studies (2005 MA RCA). After graduating from the RCA, he joined the RCA staff as a research associate and established his own design practice in both London and Lodz. From 2008, he teaches at the Academy of Fine Arts (PG13 platform) and from 2009 is based in Warsaw. 2010-2012 he was the art director of Comforty – the leading polish furniture brand.

Gosia Rygalik was born in 1982 in Warsaw. She graduated from the Design Department at Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts (2010 MA). She also studied at the Danmarks Designskole and worked with design studios in Copenhagen. During the studies in Warsaw she was a member of the PG13 platform - responding to experimental design briefs, exhibiting, organizing and taking part in design workshops and competitions as well as industry supported projects. Her MA studies were focused on experiencing food. The relationship between design and food is an important field of her theoretical research as well as design practice. In 2009 she joined Studio Rygalik to become a partner in 2012.Tomek and Gosia Rygalik from Studio Rygalik outside their Warsaw studio

© Bartek Bobkowski for TL magazine/ Courtesy of Pro Materia, July 2014

Nasz Collection © Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Collection © Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Seven Hanger by Tomek Rygalik © Ernest Winczyk

NASZ TACCA Table by Tomek & Gosia Rygalik © Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Tolo Chair by Tomek Rygalik© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Common Tableby Tomek Rygalik © Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Museum Seatby Tomek Rygalik © Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Aperitivoby Gosia Rygalik © Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Gloria Dot by Marek Cecuła for Ćmielów© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Sea Animalsby Stefan Bieńkowski© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Bugsby Julia Wilman© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ King Lizardby Antoni Bielawski© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Sea Circusby Agata Hoffa© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Shipby Wojtek Tomaszewski© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Arcs, Nasz Rattleby Wojciech Bajor© Ernest Winczyk

NASZ Collection© Ernest Winczyk