Made in China
Studio Nienke Hoogvliet

Inspired by the Chinese silk tapestries in Schloss Hollenegg, Studio Nienke Hoogvliet designed a wood and silk cabinet. The cabinet is Made in China, literally as well as figuratively. It consists of a mulberry wood frame and embroidered silk organza panels. The cabinet is a representation of the process through which it was made and the seemingly abstract design of the embroidery is, in fact, a map of where silk production takes place. The label ‘Made in China’ often has negative associations, with questionable working conditions and large-scale factories. The designers wanted to challenge this assumption and see how something of high quality craft could be produced in full transparency, in China. The production of silk can be sustainable and circular: silkworms eat only mulberry leaves that cannot be sprayed with insecticides or pesticides; the silkworms are eaten; the wood is suitable for woodwork, and it is also used to produce the heat needed in the process; the fruit of the tree is edible. Studio Nienke Hoogvliet used only materials from the silk production chain to produce the cabinet so that even the byproducts would have value.

Studio Nienke Hoogvliet is a design studio founded in 2013 and based in The Netherlands. The aim of the studio is to work with materials that contribute to a more holistic world: the projects raise awareness of the problems within the textile, leather and food industry and strive to change underlying systems and perspectives. For the Made in China project Nienke Hoogvliet collaborated with Tim Jongerius, who practices design and architecture. The work of Studio Nienke Hoogvliet has been exhibited worldwide in institutions such as Artipelag in Stockholm, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in New York and Victoria & Albert Museum, London.