Bits 'n Pieces exhibition to debut at Material ConneXion®,
November 4-December 4, 2009

Interactive exhibition to examine dialogue between the analog world and digital technologies transforming design in a post-digital era

Featuring furniture, architecture, jewelry, graphics and products by Steve Breman, Doug Bucci, Edhv, Willem Derks, Jan Habraken, Ilona Huvenaars, Joris Laarman, Jennifer Leonard, Thomas Lommee, MakerBot, Lucas Maassen, Alissia Melka-Teichroew (byAMT), THEVERYMANY, Alex Timmer, UNFOLD, Remon van den Eijnden, and Tyche van Eijndhoven

New York, NY, October 8, 2009 - Global materials consultancy Material ConneXion will premier
Bits 'n Pieces, an interactive traveling exhibition exploring the rapidly advancing technologies and new materials transforming the world of design, at its New York City headquarters at 60 Madison Avenue, from November 4 - December 4, 2009.

Curated by Dutch and Belgian designers Claire Warnier and Dries Verbruggen of UNFOLD, Lucas Maassen, Jan Habraken and Alissia Melka-Teichroew (byAMT), the exhibition will feature work by an international group of designers, architects, computer scientists and material and technology researchers that anticipates the next phase of the digital revolution.

Through objects such as furniture, architecture, jewelry, graphic design and products, by the creative minds of Doug Bucci, Edhv, Jan Habraken, Joris Laarman, Thomas Lommée, MakerBot, Alissia Melka-Teichroew (byAMT), Lucas Maassen, Dries Verbruggen, THEVERYMANY, and UNFOLD, Bits 'n Pieces will examine how design is both conceived and consumed in the post-digital age. Projects like Lucas Maassen and Dries Verbruggen's Brain Wave Sofa, whose shape was entirely determined by recording Maassen's neural activity while thinking of comfort, and MakerBot's open source 3D printer, which enables individuals to turn out complicated 3D forms quickly and affordably, highlight not only what is possible in the realm of manufacturing and design, but also what is to come. 

Bits 'n Pieces will also feature Part(s) for display, an installation by THEVERYMANY, which is part contribution to the exhibition and part display for the exhibition itself, and a 3D Forum, developed by IDEO's Jennifer Leonard and Bits 'n Pieces' curators, which allows viewers to reflect on what they are experiencing by answering questions that Leonard poses about the exhibition.  Viewers' written responses are then recorded in real-time through a Conversation Bits notepad (designed by Steve Breman, Alex Timmer, Remon van de Eijnden and Tyche van Eijndhoven) and posted on bitsnpiecesnyc.com.

Over the course of its global journey, which includes stops at Strijp S in Eindoven, Netherlands, and in Genk, Belgium, the Bits 'n Pieces exhibition will mature based on context and content. The show's first component is a permanent collection of objects that travel to each venue and evolve based on feedback given by visitors from location to location, as is appropriate to work inspired by ever-advancing technologies. The second component will feature fresh pieces made by regional designers and introduced at each new venue to present the exhibition from a local perspective.

Bits 'n Pieces has been made possible with generous support from ACE Hotel, Artale Graphics,  Cktail.com, the Consulate General of the Netherlands, Lauren Driscoll Marketing, Duvel, The Flemish Authorities, FKM, Fontys, The Mondriaan Foundation, NY400.org, PopChips, Shapeways and 
Y Water.  

BitsnPiecesNYC.com

Lucas Maassen
Script Chair, 2009
prefab materials & mixed media

Joris Laarman
Bone Chair Sequence, 2006
nylon

UNFOLD & Lucas Maassen
Brainwave Sofa, 2008
foam, upholstery & metal

THEVERYMANY
Project details to be announced.

Thomas Lommee
Openstructures, 2009
mixed media

For high-resolution images and additional information on the exhibition, please contact:

Sarah Natkins, Director of Marketing & Communications, Material ConneXion
E. snatkins@materialconnexion.com T. 212 842 1509

Exhibition Dates: November 4-December 4, 2009
Exhibition Hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 6pm

Location: Material ConneXion, 60 Madison Avenue (between 26th and 27th Streets), 2nd Floor, NYC 10010
T. 212-842-2050 / E. info@materialconnexion.com W. www.materialconnexion.com

Nearest Subways: #6 at 28th and Park / NRW at 28th and Broadway

About Material ConneXion®:
Material ConneXion is a global materials consultancy that helps companies innovate through smart materials thinking. Built on the belief that Every Idea Has A Material Solutionô, Material ConneXion is the trusted advisor to Fortune 500s, smaller forward-thinking companies, and government agencies seeking a creative, competitive, or sustainable edge through strategic material selections. With offices in New York, Bangkok, Cologne, Milan and Daegu, Korea, Material ConneXion's international network of specialists provides a global, cross-industry perspective on materials and their potential uses. Material ConneXion maintains the largest subscription-based Materials Library of innovative materials and processes in the worldóan indispensable asset to a wide audience of designers and architects and a vital tool for the development of design, industry and economy.

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