5 New Architecture & Design Exhibitions for May 2023

In the northern Hemisphere May is a month of ritual; rituals primarily associated with the awakening of nature, the approaching of summer with the associated hope of a successful and bountiful harvest. And rituals which include, amongst many others, maypoles in various contexts, bonfires for various reasons and a myriad dances, including the traditional English children’s dance/game Nuts in May, with its repetition of the line “Here we come gathering nuts in May”… which obviously raises the pertinent question, which nuts can, could, should one gather in England in May? Or indeed anywhere in northern Europe in May? Are they not all a bit underdeveloped in May? Is gathering nuts in late summer, early autumn not a more worthwhile experience? As squirrels do.

So, children and adults alike, don’t waste your time looking for edible nuts in May and invest your time instead in visiting an architecture and/or design exhibition and thereby gathering fresh perspectives and insights in May.

Our five recommendations for new shows opening in May 2023 can be found in Hamburg, Rotterdam, Helsinki, Friedrichshafen and, once again, Rotterdam…….

5 New Design Exhibitions for September 2017

The September architecture and design exhibition recommendations are arguably the cruellest to write: the fact that the majority of the exhibitions end in the depths of the European winter meaning that as we sit here hoping that summer keeps going just a little, little, longer…. we’re forced to think about winter jackets and gloves.

And so before things get that far, best get out there and visit an exhibition!! Our five recommendations for September 2017 feature new exhibitions in Weil am Rhein, Los Angeles, Utrecht, Frankfurt and Malmö…….

(smow) blog compact: Irritation #13: Guus Beumer – The outdated exhibition format @ Hôtel Droog Amsterdam

We spend a lot of our time in exhibitions. A lot. And a lot more travelling to and from exhibitions.

(smow) blog compact: Marcel Wanders – Pinned Up at the Stedelijk, 25 years of design

By way of an addendum to our “5 New Design Exhibitions for February 2014” post…. The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is currently

Vitra Design Museum: Lightopia

“My, my, my, Delilah! Why, why, why, Delilah!”

The morning of Friday September 27th 2013 was one of those misty autumn occasions that cause SANAA’s immense new Vitra Factory Building in Weil am Rhein to merge, almost unseen, with the grey background. Even Herzog & de Meuron’s new Basel Messe complex was reduced to nothing more grand than a continuation of the uncaring monotonous sky. The glitzing, shimmering palace of high summer just the weak shadow of a memory.

And so it was perhaps fitting that the Vitra Design Museum choose this dank September morn to open their latest exhibition, “Lightopia”, an exhibition devoted to light.

For today was a clear warning, in the coming months we will all be in need of a little light.

Milan Design Week 2013: Droog 20+, Up to a beautiful future

A few weeks ago in our post on the opening of the Droog Lab exhibition The New Original in Guangzhou,

Droog Lab – The New Original

In a recent idle moment, we got to thinking…. if the Chinese – at least according to popular perception –

Hôtel Droog Amsterdam

Back in April 2010 we reported that Dutch design anarchos Droog were planning a hotel in Amsterdam. On September 16th

Design Education à la ECAL/University of Art & Design Lausanne

Back in September droog “released” a diamond studded car tyre as part of their Fantastical Investments project. We fear the

Fantastical Investments by Droog and Metahaven

As if it wasn’t hard enough to keep up with the various project strands that twine together to form Droog.

Vienna Design Week 2010

“What, another design week?!” While the rest of the (smow)HQ tried to work out which city we hadn’t been to

Garden Furniture: Top 5

On several occasions in the past month we have repeatedly seen a similar scene. A scene that has made us

(smow)summer tour 2010

For some July is all about relaxing, enjoying the sun and drinking G+Ts under a Droog Shadylace parasol. For the

Shadylace by Chris Kabel for Droog

With Royal Ascot in “full flight” and the All England Championships at Wimbledon beginning om Monday, the summer season is

Designers Fair 2010: interror.be

“You can’t have a light without a dark to stick it in” Arlo Guthrie’s quote features on interror.be in conjunction

smow am rhein: droog

Truth be told we’d expected a bit more bravery from our favourite Amsterdam anarcho-artisans. But no, no tree-trunk bench on

(smow)offline: Uses for old T-shirts

Those of you who know us know that we have little time or interest in fakers, copyists and other charlatans

new at smow: Rag Chair by droog

One of the most exciting moments of our trip to the ICFF, New York was our visit to the droog

New York Tales: Greene Street Tales

In local parlance Greene Street, NYC is known as “West smow”, on account of the prevalence of high-quality designer furniture