14/09/2023
Alkmaekers: Maekers in the spotlight
The latest project of social product designer Ro Smit, is based on his three guiding principles:
- Ethics equals esthetics
- Crafting with community
- Respecting regional resources
After expositions and projects worldwide, the designer decided to focus on his hometown: Alkmaar. Here is where he started ‘De Maekplaats’, a studio in which young adults with various forms of autism, proudly work on the project Alkmaekers. Together they put a spotlight on the rich artisanal history of the city.
In the Maekplaats, artisanal products are created, inspired by the crafts-history of the city, and made of local materials. Think of linen cushions and bags, made of flax that grows in the Dutch coastal province of Zeeland. For the coloring, pigments of indigenous plants are used, that Alkmaekers grow and flourish in their city garden.
To bring the ancient artisan-history back to life, Alkmaekers also created a route through the city alongside spots where the ‘history of the makers’ is still visible. That is, íf you know where to look! With the limitless knowledge of city archeologists and information from various archives, beautiful stories can be told about the lives of artisans of the past.
These stories have visible and invisible traces in the city. The ‘Walk of the Maekers’ is a route that gives a special insight in the rich artisanal history of the city, through the eyes of the makers of today.
The hand-drawn map is on sale soon through various spots in the city and through the museum shop at Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar. Here at the lobby you can also find an installation of the project, and listen to the podcast: ‘The rich history of a maker-city though the eyes of today’s makers.’
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