Dutch designer Pieke Bergmans is so successful in designing processes that then result in objects, that those processes really making you think differently about design. The objects are energetic, dynamic, dramatic, and full of humor, just like Bergmans herself, perfectly capturing her own personality and identity. Visiting her studio was both memorable and fascinating, because the narratives behind her objects are integral to understanding them and she is a great storyteller that makes you fully comprehend the thinking that has given birth to her design. Exploring and researching techniques and materials have become not only the point of departure for her extraordinary and beautiful objects, but also their very DNA. Bergmans gives each and every object a unique identity whether it is made of glass, ceramics, resin, plastic, or wood, when finding the right moment within the process in which the object is formed, the moment when she decides to stop the process, to suddenly end it. The tension between the carefully planned and the spontaneous stands at the core of her work, and gives its unique character. So visiting her new studio outside of Amsterdam was like walking into wonderland, where glass vases wrap trunks of wood, chairs, and tables; where ceramic vessels made of cylinders that are then stopped on a surface to create drapes that look like fabrics; where neon sculptures are given a new and integrated form beyond the conventional tubes. Bergmans has coined the term Design Virus to describe her oeuvre and her mission to make products that spread around the world like virus, each depend on another to remain alive. Just like virus.
