Of modern making

about the Kunstwerkstede De Coene and Knoll furniture

Commissioned by the Cultural Heritage Unit of the city of Antwerp [2002]

Direction and production of a series of videos

Direction and production of a series of videos for the exhibition ‘Van Moderne makelij’ (Of Modern making), about the Kunstwerkstede De Coene and Knoll furniture

Commissioned by the Cultural Heritage Unit of the city of Antwerp. Town Halls of Deurne and Merksem, Antwerp; Broelmuseum Kortrijk, 2002

Exhibition

The exhibition ‘Of Modern making,’ held in the Town Halls of Deurne and Merksem (districts of greater Antwerp) provided a birds-eye view of the history of the Kunstwerkstede De Coene. The interiors of both town halls were decorated by the Kunstwerkstede in the 1960s. At the time, the firm also made Knoll furniture, for which they had a license.

The exhibition put on show a variety of furniture made during by the firm in those years. The chairs have been spread throughout the rooms of the Merksem District House, creating a path through the interior.

Film

A series of films illustrated how De Coene furniture was made: with a love of craftsmanship, mutual respect between designers and furniture makers, within the possibilities and limitations of techniques and materials, and a balance between functionality and aesthetics.

At the right, the eye-witness account of Achilles Daelmn.

Decoplan
Barcelona chair

Colophon

Exhibition

Concept

Frank Herman, Cultural Heritage Unit of Antwerp

Design

Hendrik De Leeuw

Coordination

Steven Leman, Cultural Heritage Unit of Antwerp

Videos

Direction and production

Terenja van Dijk

Camera

Mary Hehuat

Sound

Boet Hehuat

Editing

Boet Hehuat and Terenja van Dijk

Eyewitness account

Achilles Daelman

Advisor

Frank Herman

Catalogue

Contributors

Mil De Kooning, Ronny De Meyer, Fredie Floré

Scholarly research

Fredie Floré, assisted by Rika Devos, Department of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Ghent

Editors

Mil De Kooning, Frank Herman

Design

Ronny De Meyer