Design CommissionsDesign Commissions

Makkink & Bey (Rianne Makkink and Jurgen Bey) realised the design of the series of exhibitions Surprising Finds from the Collection (2014-2016), the presentation Collected by & as part of the Temporary Fashion Museum (2016-2016), and Design Diorama: the Archive as a Utopic Environment, the contribution to the 2016 London Design Biennale.

If it was up to Rianne Makkink, exhibitions would remain on display for longer more often. She believes that one of the _Temporary Fashion Museum'_s greatest achievements was the fact that was open for eight months, throughout which changes continued to take place. "We designed and staged the presentation of Eva Maria Hatschek's couture collection," says Makkink. "We are often asked to provide not only the spatial design, but the concept and composition for an exhibition, as well." From Switzerland, Hatschek (1924-2010) kept all the couture garments that she bought or had made throughout her life. "At the time, fashion designers didn't just sell the haute couture produced in their own studio, but patterns too," explains Makkink. "This meant that clients could have the garments made by their own tailor or dressmaker. You could even order fabrics. Hatschek bought the most exquisite fabrics in Switzerland." She continues: "We unpacked the garments one by one here in the studio - it was an absolute treat. Together with graphic designer Sandra Kassenaar we came up with a labelling system for archiving the clothes. During the exhibition, visitors could ask to see the contents of the boxes."

The exhibition _Collected by.. _was divided into three parts: the visitor entered the exhibition hall, where the Hatschek ensembles were exhibited. The archive was in the centre and the shop was situated to the rear, with high-end vintage designs by Ferry van der Nat. Part of this collection was suspended freely in the space, rising from the floor to the ceiling. "As though everyone had donned their fanciest outfits and gathered on a grand staircase, prior to an opening," says Makkink. "That is what is so extraordinary about the great hall in Het Nieuwe Instituut: you can create various levels. In the scenography, we took the height of the room into account as much as we possibly could. At the back, we positioned an elevated screening room with a stairwell from which visitors could enjoy a vista of the entire exhibition. It really was a luxury that the exhibition lasted for so long and the designs had the hall to themselves at night. I believe that objects have a life of their own. The fact that the lady preserved her garments so carefully is of great value. Which is why I believe it is so important to have our designs here in the light around me. I want them to really live, not be packed away somewhere in the dark."

For the series of exhibitions _Surprising Finds from the Collection _#1 to #5 archivist Alfred Marks selected exceptional pieces that had rarely, if ever, been exhibited (models, drawings and photographs) from the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning on the basis of a theme. "During Surprising Finds we were extremely fortunate to be allowed to dismantle the permanent model display, designed for the former NAi by the international architectural firm OMA," explains Makkink. "We came up with a kind of growth model for the series: for each edition, we introduced a new part of the exhibit and took away an old part. We developed various individual presentation displays. We arranged one wall in such a way that a changing selection of drawings and photographs from the archive could be presented. Inside the glass circle of the OMA design, we showed work by various young designers in turn. We collaborated with Jules van de Langenberg, who invited different designers and artists to stage an intervention in the space."

The archive plays an important role for Makkink & Bey. Rianne Makkink gives a short tour of the storage space behind the studio. The display cabinets that were used during Collected by are arranged here, full of objects and materials from previous and future projects still in preparation. This is a recurring motif in the work by Makkink & Bey. They continually strive for a combination of something old, something new and something borrowed - as though they were dressing a bride. For the London Design Biennale in 2016, they replicated their living room. All the objects that surround them there, most of which are designs and works of art by friends and acquaintances, were recreated - in perspective - in blue Styrofoam. "We always create a small setting, also with our furniture. The ear chairs, which we designed for Interpolis, look their best when they are in pairs, they then frame the space. Jurgen graduated from the Design Academy in Eindhoven, from the Public Place department. I graduated from Delft University of Technology, but I wanted to work on a different scale. This is where we found common ground."

website studio makkink & bey