Stefan Diez » imm cologne

» Talent forum [D3] shows the Next Designer Generation

The talent forum [D3] Design talents shows which way the wind is blowing. At the imm cologne, young designers get the chance to present their original product ideas alongside the established stars of the furniture industry.

Design lives from a constant stream of new ideas. And sometimes from the reinvention of old ones. What’s crucial is a constant change of perspectives that questions what has already been achieved, penetrates beyond established aesthetics and ventures to suggest new approaches. Experimental design thus fulfils an important function for the entire discipline – by ensuring continuous input.

» What is German Design? Up-to-date design concepts beyond the right angle!

Furniture design from Germany is not only comfortable to sit on, it is also uncomfortably provocative. Whilst it generally sticks to the straight and narrow, it is sometimes blatantly off-centre. And though its aesthetics might not always be accessible at first glance, they are made to last a lifetime. A look beneath the surface reveals why.

Design legends of the Bauhaus movement like Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe would find today‘s world a perplexing place. German design is running out of steam. Shelves are losing their structure, sofas have to be stuffed post-purchase, strangely bent legs appear to keep the tabletop horizontal purely by chance and lamps look like wire skeletons held together with strips of fabric.