Crafts Council Nederland presents WOW NATURE at Dutch Design Week 2026, from 17 to 25 October at De Fabriek in Eindhoven. The exhibition brings together work by 40 craft practitioners whose approaches to nature range from traditional material processing to contemporary material research. Woodworking, wool and flax processing, weaving, basketry, ceramics and glassblowing form part of an exhibition that considers nature not only as a source of raw materials, but also as a process, a source of knowledge and a system shaped by human activity.
What Can We Still Consider Natural?
In the Netherlands, where almost every natural environment has been influenced or managed by people, WOW NATURE examines what can still be considered natural. The exhibition places longstanding craft practices alongside contemporary approaches to materials, against the background of climate change and growing demand for energy and raw materials.
An Artificial Landscape of Craft Objects
The exhibition design by Scheltens & Abbenes takes the form of an artificial landscape assembled from craft objects made with natural materials. Known for their carefully composed still-life photography, the studio uses familiar objects and materials to create unexpected visual relationships.
WOW NATURE is presented by ECA member Crafts Council Nederland, with exhibition design by Scheltens & Abbenes and sound design by Mart Pool and Daniël van Gurp. The exhibition is supported by Stimuleringsfonds, Cultuurfonds and the European Crafts Alliance, with Vitra and HKliving as partners.
photo: Crafts Council Nederland