Amsterdam based conceptual design company Droog (meaning ‘dry’) started in 1993 with a no nonsense, down-to-earth design ethos. The company works from a mentality that focuses on what it means to be human and which creates products that each tell a story about themes such as memories, nostalgia, re-use, craftsmanship and nature.
Droog introduced its inaugural collection in 1993 with a chest made from found drawers strapped together in an awkward cloud. The piece had been designed two years earlier by Tejo Remy in the midst of an earlier global recession, questioning overproduction and how to maximize our resources.
In their latest exhibition “Saved By Droog,” at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair, the Dutch design brand scoured online liquidation auctions for caches of unwanted objects — like 720 soda glasses and 50 neon-orange safety vests — and then invited 14 designers (including Erick Larenbeek, Atelier Remy & Veenhuizen, Atelier Ted Van Noten, Maison Martin Margiela, Marije Vogelzang, Minale-Maeda, Studio Makkink & Bey and Stefan Sagmeister) to use them as raw materials.
The objects range from small-scale artifacts like matches, spoons, and cups to porcelain objects and furniture, all acquired by Droog in liquidation auctions over the last months. The final collection is comprised of 19 limited-edition designs that can be bought on-site.
The designs include a piece by Stefan Sagmeister, who printed 448 black leather wallets with gold words that unfold to phrase “Money does not make me happy” and work by designer Marian Bantjes, who manicured 80 folding chairs with nail polish.
images:inhabitat
