When I was little I went to the cinema in Eindhoven with my parents and we walked through the Vijksteeg after parking the car, which was covered in early-day graffiti. All those strange characters fascinated me. I think that’s my base for creative expression.
Eindhoven was a troubled city with many empty buildings. The ‘Witte Dame’, an old Philips building, was a kind of ghost ship and the market square was a construction site. It offered possibilities to an undercurrent that burst with creativity. This and the city’s dynamics fascinated me, all that space to play with.
In Eindhoven you have to figure out everything yourself, so there is always another answer to your questions. The evolution of Eindhoven is a case of trial and error. Just like the evolution of Edhv. We started as a small local office with the urge to add something to the city, share the energy. From posters in the streets to big exhibitions. Now from all corners of the world young people are doing an internship at our studio. We have a team of multidisciplinary professionals who work hard on frontier projects. They are all people who want to contribute to the city in their own way. I’m very proud of that.
In recent years the city has risen from its ashes. Good things happened and mistakes have been made. Because of this non-linear progress, the city stays interesting. What now blocks further development is the low population density. The population has to grow to attract new initiatives.
We have been very closely involved in the development of the new logo of Eindhoven. A great responsibility, because I have a huge love affair with the city. And because it is impossible to make everyone happy. Our conclusion was that the new logo had to catch the unlimited energy that is present in the city. Eindhoven is everything: liquid, filthy, it bubbles, gives light, smokes, plays and explodes. Eindhoven is a living-lab. Experiment, try and see what it does. Sometimes it fails and sometimes it works. If it fails, shrug your shoulders and continue with the next thing. That is Eindhoven. Here it is all about the content.
