pioneers of change dutch design festival new york

pioneers of change festival

pioneers of change is a festival of dutch design, fashion and architecture on new york’s governors island.

the event is conceived and curated by renny ramakers, co-founder and director of droog, as part of the ny400 week celebrations, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the dutch to new york.

the festival highlights a more responsible and sustainable approach to living by celebrating the blurring of low- and high-brow, establishing new collaborations, encouraging involvement, emphasizing sustainability and valuing handcraft and the local context. over the course of two long weekends from september 11 through september 20, pioneers of change will showcase a modern interpretation on dutch art and design. the exhibit will utilize several former officers’ houses in nolan park on governors island, where visitors can enjoy the festival.

pioneers of change will include leading designers such as: 2012 architecten, atelier nl, maarten baas, franck bragigand, droog with marije vogelzang, herman verkerk, rianne makkink and hansje van halem, experimental jetset, pascale gatzen, christien meindertsma, MVRDV and the why factory with work architecture company, painted, erwin driessens and maria verstappen, parsons the new school for design, platform 21, marcel schmalgemeijer, NL architects and michael schoner, richard hutten, atelier van lieshout, and chris kabel.

‘boombench’ by NL architects – michael schoner for droog

an outcome of droog’s urban play event, NL architects transformed a regular piece of street furniture into a sound system, it is activated by bluetooth.

‘shadylace parasol’ by chris kabel for droog

with its leaf motif, casting shadows of branches and leaves, shady lace parasol recaptures the sensation of sitting beneath a filigree of foliage and is waterproof.