This week the Dutch Design in China Yearbook was presented to Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation Maxime Verhagen in Shanghai. The book presents the top design companies from the Netherlands with a base in China within the disciplines architecture, fashion and design. The aim of this book is to give an overview of Dutch design firms active in China (including HK) and their latest projects. It provides a snapshot of Dutch Design in China, moreover it will promote Dutch Design in an international context and help to make new connections.

The book contains around 40 design companies with their Chinese projects. Examples are Dick Bruna, OMA, Studio Dumbar, John Körmeling, United Nude, Mars-1, UN Studio, MVRDV, G-Star RAW, Bugaboo and Maurer United.

The online version of the book includes the searchable directory and will be updated regularly with news updates in advance to the next edition. The first edition will be printed in a limited number of copies that will be distributed firstly amongst the Dutch and Chinese partner network in China.

For more information about the book, directory and other initiatives of Dutch Design Workspace, please contact Mrs. An-Ya Chan by telephone on +86 21 6075 1010 or anya@dutchdesignworkspace.com. You can pre-order the book through www.dutchdesigninchina.com.

We Are Eutropolis from zachte g TV on Vimeo. – Mark Handel, Joris Hoefakker, Maurice Hermans and Egid van Houtem, director of the Social Beta Foundation, made this short film introduction to ‘Eutropolis’, a concept by Maurer United.

This year’s i_beta/event will take place may 12th and 13th. The annual festival presents new ideas on economy, society and culture.

“If the 20th century was one marked by explosions (atomic bombs, population and information), the 21st century will be one marked by implosions. Europe finds itself in a decade of transition. From a past of unsustainable and unethical growth, to one other which we do not know yet, and terribly fear the outcome. The induced panic the word crisis brings, should not take over one’s attention, in the danger of forgetting it is nothing more than a passage, a modulation. Language has failed us, and the negative aspects of the action ‘to shrink’ has prevented to see the positive sides of ‘to implode’ which implies ‘to concentrate’. But what is being concentrated and how? As a passage of rites, its brings a necessary set of creative responses to prepare for this transition. i_beta/ aims at opening a dialogue with the city where it all started and it all ended, a city already adapting and responding to a new future, to this future, the city of Detroit.”

Vimeo above of ‘God’s Browser’ of Geert Mul. See www.ibeta.eu for the whole programme.

At friday May 6th the exhibition ‘Rechts Inhalen’ will be opened at Kunstenlab, Deventer NL. The exhibition will present six different public space designs along the highway A1 by interdisciplinariteit teams. Maurer United teamed up with Xkwadraat and artist Boris Tellegen, see youtube animation above.

Other participant are: Melle Smets, Partizan Publik, Artgineering, Rob Sweere, Hans Jungerius, Buro Harro, Jeroen van Westen, LANDLAB, Reitsema & Partners, Zijaanzicht, ZUS, John Körmeling, ARUP, LOLA Landscape Architects, seArch (Bjarne Mastenbroek) and Studio Roosegaarde.