Artists’ Exploration in Eindhoven

This November, our Design Technology and Art Departments took a group of Year 12s on a joint trip to Eindhoven where they had the opportunity to explore some fantastic design shows and sights.

Year 12 students, Leila and Katy, wrote about the trip:

“We felt inspired by the culture in Eindhoven – the sheer amount of design shows taking place all around us created an atmosphere of new ideas and creativity. You could see skeletons of areas that had previous use in industry that had been repurposed in creative and innovative ways.   

One of the projects that resonated with us most at the graduate show was an installation of blankets with a short film centered around sleeping in unfamiliar places. The blankets were set up informally in a small side room, making the installation feel removed and it offered a safe space from the overwhelming nature of the rest of the design show.  

Projects we enjoyed less tended to be overly conceptual or included AI. The majority of the group believed that relying on AI defeats the point of imaginative thinking and creativity in design. Overall, most of the design that we saw leant closer to fine art than product design as the conceptual ideas were better developed than the product, which contrasted our expectations. 

In addition to all of the incredible design, the Eindhoven trip also gave us a taste of the city’s culture. Our hotel was in a great location, within walking distance of a great multicultural food market and the city centre.”

(Scroll along below to see more pictures from the trip.)