studio makkink & bey: washhouse

studio makkink & bey: washhouse
helmrinderknecht contemporary design gallery, berlin
on now until october 30, 2010

installation view of 'washhouse' at helmrinderknecht contemporary design gallery


dutch design studio makkink & bey (rianne makkink & jurgen bey) present 'washhouse',
their first solo exhibition at helmrinderknecht contemporary design gallery in berlin.

studio makkink & bey have created a site-specific, three-dimensional walk through landscape
of a rural village. the scene is illustrated through the use of mohair woolen blankets,
which hang on clotheslines - which are draped in between simple wooden posts - to give shape
and division of space. each blanket is woven with patterns and lines which become the exterior
of the 'houses', or reflect imagery of the surrounding landscape. the wooden posts in which the
wash lines are draped not only function as a laundry racks, but within the fictive landscape they also
become trees. the woolen blankets, like houses, offer human beings protection and shelter.
they offer warmth and security. they are roofs over our heads, and they tuck us in comfortably
when we are going to bed.

the blankets were produced at the textielmuseum's workshop, textilelab in tilburg, netherlands.
all blankets are two-sided and woven with two different colors. there are a total of five patterns.
each one is exclusively available at helmrinderknecht contemporary design.






up close of how the blankets are hung



installation view of 'washhouse' at helmrinderknecht contemporary design gallery



one of the houses



house construction and blanket detail



blankets are held together by clothes pins



'washhouse' blankets



'washhouse blanket 1.1'



graphic for 'washhouse blanket 1.1'



'washhouse blanket 1.2'



left: graphic for 'washhouse blanket 1.2'
right: graphic for 'washhouse blanket 1.4'



'washhouse blanket 1.4'



'washhouse blanket 1.3'



graphic for 'washhouse blanket 1.3'



'washhouse blanket 1.5'



graphic for 'washhouse blanket 1.5'



'washhouse blankets'



'washhouse blanket 2.3'



graphic for 'washhouse 2.3'



'washhouse blanket 2.4'



left: graphic for 'washhouse blanket 2.4'
right: graphic for 'washhouse blanket 2.5'



'washhouse blanket 2.5'



'washhouse blanket 2.1'



graphic for 'washhouse blanket 2.1'



'washhouse blanket 2.2'



graphic for 'washhouse blanket 2.2'