Pieke: When I’m working with materials, but also with people, I’m quite difficult, because I’m trying to push the limits. So, whether what they are possible—capable of doing, and also the material itself. So I really stretch it, but like really, and so often many things break.
And to me it really doesn’t matter, but I also have to find the right people to work with that can deal with it, because many people want to make beautiful things but in the beginning, to me, it’s not so important to make beautiful things. I just have to find the edges of the possibilities.
My name is Pieke Bergmans. I am a Designer-slash-Artist. Actually, I think I kinda started as a designer, but nowadays… not sure anymore if I still am a designer.
The really wonderful product design that is really necessary, of course, in our world, is a really important job but it's not my job. I have a different job; I think my job is more to surprise people.
Pieke:The "Design Virus" is something I really started my career with. I think nowadays I’m not too much Design Virus anymore, but in the beginning I really was, because I was trained to be a 3D designer, and then you are trained to make the perfect object for mass production.
And the thing is, to me, if everything I studied in nature is unique, you know, it’s all made within the same—or with the same recipe, almost, but the outcome is unique. We have millions of people and none of us are the same.
For example, the "Crystal Virus" was a very nice project because this chair, or whatever other moulds that it was blown onto, that is actually the host. And together, they have an existence. So the crystal in this case is the virus, and so together they’re alive and can maintain.
And at that time that was really interesting to me. It’s still very important to me, but I am not so much focused anymore on design, ‘cause I don’t really live in the product word. So I kind of grew out of that.
A year ago, I had a solo exhibition and what I did, I exhibited a block of ice. We cut it out of the Torne river in Laplands, and it was transported all the way from Laplands to Milan, just to melt away. And to me it was a very nice story to tell, ‘cause in Milan it's very much about materialism.
And to me—I'm also sometimes a little bit hesitant—because to me, what I'm creating has nothing to do with, "I want to have it!" It's something very, very different so. Also I want to ask myself a question, like, “Why am I doing these things?” or, you know, “What can it mean?” or “Can it bring something else rather than just the beauty?”
Pieke:I think we are often living in a time that we’re focused on so many things that we forget to look around us. So maybe I get a little bit inspired to capture things that are maybe already there, just to show people, "Look! It's already there, it's so amazing!" But, sometimes you have to give it a platform; then maybe people look from a different point of view.
And now I’m trying to preserve a certain moment in nature. For example, these flowers are dipped into silicon. And I think it’s quite interesting, what happens. More or less, the colours remain and it lasts for a while I think; I don’t think forever.
I like the transparency also, of the materials, and I like the flexibility, and I like that I can actually fix the flower in a certain moment in time. Also in how I position it, of course.
I think, many interesting things are happening, so I’m quite happy with the first experiment. Maybe afterwards I’m going to trash all of them, it’s possible, but maybe you know, some of these results are so satisfying that I’m going to push it really further and then create the real object.
I like when people are [a] bit surprised, right? So. In the end I think it will have to develop into that extent. Like, for example that tree now, it doesn't show really, but actually the leaves are upside down. But it’s—I have to tell you and then maybe you see it.
So then, to me, it's not good enough, right? But I'm trying, always, to play a little bit with things that surprise you. That you have to lift at least one eyebrow like, "Heh? What am I seeing? What, what is this?"
I think the most precious thing nowadays, because everybody is busy, and you know we don't have time for anything anymore, is to be here. So also when you're working you actually—you have to see, everything, you have to be concentrated, and you have to be relaxed.
So while doing it, all these most beautiful things just happen right in front of you, but you have to be capable of seeing and capturing these moments. So that’s what I’m trying to do.