Concept

The Truth of Basics, Resetting the History of Living between Four Walls.

The Lift-Off project takes place during the 2008 Dutch Design Week at a prime location in the city centre: the offices of Philip van den Hurk financial consultants.

In the abstract sense, we are concerned with the way that four walls offer diverse creative entrepreneurs a blank framework in which to express their visions about the use and the purpose of a space.
They do this by thinking through the space. From the frame, the four walls, we arrive in a context referred to in the fine arts as the ‘installation setting’: the atmospheric setting of a space and the meaning that can be derived from it. The approaches are by way of different disciplines and the media associated with them, such as those of the stylist (decoration as meaning), the artist (the medium lends the meaning), the designer (the product giving meaning) and the architect (the purpose of a space).

For each of these disciplines, we have found outstanding participants who have established their reputations and/or demonstrated distinct talent. In addition, the photography for this newspaper publication, by Ingmar Swalue, and the text by Louise Schouwenberg, each have their own autonomous, discursive function.

With The Truth of Basics, co-curator Dave Keune and I have tried to investigate the frontiers between a space as a whole, made up of architecture and interior, by using the empty shell – the four walls – as a radical starting point, in order to chart the pure potential of a space by way of the differing disciplines and with different, strong perspectives. We believe that we have assembled a fantastic group of creative entrepreneurs to do so, and here and now, we challenge you, during this week, to relate to the spaces that have resulted.

Enjoy, experience and find your position!

Freek Lomme and Dave Keune