Of modern making
about the Kunstwerkstede De Coene and Knoll furniture
Commissioned by the Cultural Heritage Unit of the city of Antwerp [2002]
Direction and production of a series of videos
Direction and production of a series of videos for the exhibition ‘Van Moderne makelij’ (Of Modern making), about the Kunstwerkstede De Coene and Knoll furniture
Commissioned by the Cultural Heritage Unit of the city of Antwerp
Town Halls of Deurne and Merksem, Antwerp; Broelmuseum Kortrijk, 2002
Exhibition
The exhibition ‘Of Modern making,’ held in the Town Halls of Deurne and Merksem (districts of greater Antwerp) provided a birds-eye view of the history of the Kunstwerkstede De Coene. The interiors of both town halls were decorated by the Kunstwerkstede in the 1960s. At the time, the firm also made Knoll furniture, for which they had a license.
The exhibition put on show a variety of furniture made during by the firm in those years. The chairs have been spread throughout the rooms of the Merksem District House, creating a path through the interior.
Film
A series of films illustrated how De Coene furniture was made: with a love of craftsmanship, mutual respect between designers and furniture makers, within the possibilities and limitations of techniques and materials, and a balance between functionality and aesthetics.
At the right, the eye-witness account of Achilles Daelmn.
1. Decoplan
2. Barcelona chair
ExhibitionConceptFrank Herman, Cultural Heritage Unit of Antwerp DesignHendrik De Leeuw CoordinationSteven Leman, Cultural Heritage Unit of Antwerp VideosDirection and productionTerenja van Dijk CameraMary Hehuat SoundBoet Hehuat EditingBoet Hehuat and Terenja van Dijk | Eyewitness accountAchilles Daelman AdvisorFrank Herman CatalogueContributorsMil De Kooning, Ronny De Meyer, Fredie Floré Scholarly researchFredie Floré, assisted by Rika Devos, Department of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Ghent EditorsMil De Kooning, Frank Herman DesignRonny De Meyer |