As announced before, on March 8th we’ve launched COHORS together with our first product: the TROUVÉ table lamp. We kicked-off with an exhibition showing all the artworks by the artists involved. So, what is COHORS then? Is it a gallery? Is it a design-label? Is it an exhibition? Is it an event? A shop?
Actually, it’s everything and none of the above. Well, a design label it is to be honest. But not your average design label. I’ve started COHORS to get a younger crowd involved with art and design; a crowd that is into street culture, counter culture, gaming, skating, festivals, Spoken Word, electronic music, whatever. On the other hand: I worked with so many damn good young artists that have trouble finding a platform that fit their needs. To me COHORS is an answer to some of that. At the same time it is a platform that focusses on the right crowd to match its supply.
A former Willem de Kooning academy product design student of mine, Marten van Middelkoop, created this lamp a few years back. Since he was fully immersed in a new company he started (PLASTICIET, please check it out! They are making really cool plastic recycled materials!!!), he left the lamp for what is was. I was mesmerized by that lamp… I wanted it. I wanted to produce it. And then finally, when I came up with the right concept around it, I started COHORS.
Around that time I invited a group of young artists around this first project: a motion graphic designer, a composer, a graphic art designer (who later-on came up with an AR designer to add to the team) and a wonderful art photographer. And I asked them one question: Do you feel like creating autonomous work that relates to this lamp?
And I can asure you: it’s amazing what came out of that process. And it brings new light to the work of a curator, working within the commercial realm. That’s for sure. It is very, very challenging to sell a product with such a diverse palette of art production around it. But what the hell; it’s been worth the (bumpy) ride!
You can check our website: www.cohors.one, if you want to learn more about the other art and artists involved. COHORS is also on social media: cohors.one. Or check here regularly. I will be writing more about their work here soon…
P.S. the COHORS website intro Motion Graphic was done by Joost Camaro with a soundtrack by Eric Magnée.