Droog Design started out as a show, curated by Renny Ramakers and Gijs Bakker in 1993. They brought together two dozen designers, who in their curatorial view shared a mentality which could be summarized as ‘dry’. ‘Dry’ as in dry wit, unadorned informality, ascetic irony. ‘Dry’ as that essentially Dutch inclination to ‘do normal’ and at the same time critically investigate what you’re doing and the way you do it. Since 1994, Droog Design hosted and invited like minded designers, and helped them to realise their products. In themed projects shown at exhibitions and fairs worldwide, Droog elaborated and publicized aspects of its curatorial view. In an ongoing series of publications and educational activities, Droog elaborates and illustrates its views on the collection and its contexts. Collaborating with a variety of clients, a kaleidoscopic collection of exclusive designs grew to world fame: the curatorial collection became a brand with an attitude.
Gijs Bakker (1942) was trained as a jewellery- and industrial- designer in Amsterdam and Stockholm. Bakker's designs cover jewellery, home accessories and household appliances, furniture, interiors, public space and exhibitions. As a designer he worked and works for numerous companies: Polaroid, Artifort, HEMA, van Kempen en Begeer, to name just four. For Cor Unum he is design advisor since 1992. He lectured at the Design Department of the Academy of Fine Arts inArnhem and the Delft University of Technology and has been a professor at The Design Academy in Eindhoven since 1987. Together with Renny Ramakers he founded Droog Design in 1993. Bakker and Ramakers are Droog's selectors and art directors.
Designmeet, is an event of Arkitera Architecture Center.
Gijs Bakker will be the guest lecturer of Designmeet on 17 September 2005.