News — Apr 17, 2012

Amsterdam, April 17, 2012

Petra Blaisse’s internationally acclaimed Amsterdam-based design studio Inside Outside has been commissioned to design a monumental wall hanging of approximately 200 square meters for the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. It will cover the rear wall of the museum restaurant on the ground floor and rise to a height of 14 meters in the new entrance hall on the Museumplein. The work is sponsored by Dutch carpet manufacturer Desso, which in cooperation with Inside Outside, applied an innovative weaving technique especially for this project. Installation will take place at the end of April.

Stedelijk Museum Director Ann Goldstein: “We are thrilled that this extraordinary work by Inside Outside, so thoughtfully and exquisitely conceived specifically for its site in the Stedelijk Museum, will be integral to every visitor’s experience of our spectacular new entrance hall. It has been a true honor to work with Inside Outside and its founder Petra Blaisse, who started her career in the Stedelijk Museum’s Department of Applied Arts and for whom this marks a kind of homecoming. Thanks to Desso’s generous sponsorship and innovative production techniques, we are proud to share this remarkable union of artistic ingenuity and design innovation with our publics.”

Designed by Inside Outside, this textile-based artwork complements the architecture of the museum and will connect A.W. Weissman’s original 1895 building with the new wing designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects. Containing allusions to the past, present and future of the Stedelijk, the wall hanging also references the site’s pre-urban history: until the late 19th century, before the Museumplein was built, the area was occupied by a small number of farmhouses. As well as adding a spectacular visual element, the work will also enhance the acoustic quality of the space.

Craftsmanship and design merge in the fabrication of this incredible textile. The product of an intensive collaboration between Inside Outside and Dutch carpet manufacturer Desso, the wall hanging features a specific combination of weaving techniques, which was developed by Desso especially for this project. Like the magnificent facade of the new wing, the project testifies to the astonishing innovations that are possible when design and industry join forces.

Petra Blaisse, designer and founder of Inside Outside: “We are honored to be working on this truly remarkable project for such a renowned institution. For all us Amsterdammers and artlovers, the Stedelijk has always been a beacon and a ‘second home’. And, having worked at the Stedelijk for many years, I feel that Inside Outside has an even more personal connection with the museum, its spaces and stories. Thanks to the enthusiasm of the Stedelijk staff and Desso’s pioneering technology, we’ve been able to create a work that we hope everyone will enjoy.”

Alexander Collot d’Escury, Chief Commercial Officer of Desso: “This project for the Stedelijk Museum, in which we combined innovative weaving techniques for the first time, shows that cutting-edge technology and unique design are a perfect match. The successful collaboration between Inside Outside, the Desso design team and the Desso technicians has culminated in a final product that reveals the synergy between the specific architectural context of a building and its interior spaces.”

Petra Blaisse established the design bureau Inside Outside in 1991. Based in Amsterdam,the studio’s inter-disciplinary design approach spans textiles, landscape architecture and exhibition design. Its spectacular projects respond to a building’s architectural qualities, such as sound and light, climate regulation and spatial effects. Inside Outside has completed projects for a number of sites, including the Synagogue of the Liberal Jewish Congregation in Amsterdam; the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Headquarters in Shenzhen, China; the Chazen Museum of Art in Wisconsin, U.S.A.; and the kowloon district in Hong kong. Inside Outside is currently working on designs for a public park in the center of Milan and gardens for the Qatar Foundation and the Central Library in Doha, Qatar.

Desso is a leading player in the design and develop ment of carpet tiles and broadloom for both business (mainly offices) and consumer markets, as well as artificial grass pitches. Thanks to its high quality and creative custommade carpets, Desso is also well known in the hotel, marine and aviation sectors. Desso Sports Systems is a leading player in providing artificial turf for sports fields and reinforced natural grass systems for football (in top stadiums like Arsenal and Wembley), hockey and tennis. Desso operates in 110 countries. Its innovation strategy focuses on creativity, functionality and Cradle to Cradle®. Superior design is achieved in partnership with the Circles of Architects® worldwide.