Farm to Form to Fair

Farm to Form to Fair
Textile Practices at the Intersections of Product, Interior and Fashion Design

This research-based design project by the University of the Arts Bremen traces the journey from harvesting the material, through the creative and craft-based process, to its presentation at Milan Design Week.

Over the course of a year, more than 50 students actively harvested, prepared and processed natural materials such as sedges, rushes, willows, grass or bark.

In workshops with experienced basket weaving designers / craftspeople, the students learned the basics of textile techniques such as weaving, plaiting, coiling, and twisting in three-dimensional space. Direct contact and hands-on engagement with the raw materials shape the entire design process. Growth, structure, texture and other material properties become factors that determine the design.

The works range from body-related accessories to furniture and interior objects. Farm to Form to Fair makes design processes visible, and conceives a space where cultural origin, design and craftsmanship come together as a narrative.

The HfK Bremen is both an art and a music university. Its academic offerings include Fine Arts, Integrated Design, Digital Media, as well as Musical Education for Artists and Teachers. Around 1.000 students from 70 countries, 65 professors, 89 staff members in administration and over 150 teaching associates make the University a vibrant place. The relationships among members of the university community, their multi-facetted collaborations, the close knit support provided to students by faculty and staff, as well as the plethora of regional and international cooperations help students grow into strong and distinct personalities.