Marcel Douwe Dekker

Marcel Douwe Dekker (Delft, 1964) is a Dutch systems engineer and designer.
Biography
Marcel Douwe Dekker was born in 1964 in Delft, Holland and studied mechanical engineering at the Delft University of Technology from 1984 to 1991. During 1986-87 he worked as practicum assistant materials science, and as a photographer in Blijdorp zoo. After learning about the systems theory practice as assistant professor in 1987-88, he specialized in business economics and systems engineering and received a Master's degree at the Delft University of Technology in 1991. Realizing that a further career in industry had never appealed to him, he proceeded studying visual arts at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam for one year.
In April 1991 he started working as interior designer. Starting with his own fascination about life, he focused on developing some concepts into a range of artistic products: from sketches, drawings, pictures and notes, to sculptures, interior objects and multimedia installations.
In 1992, he had his first exhibitions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, but by the end of that year he was almost broke. So he started working as a waiter, as a night porter in a homeless shelter, and as a construction builder to rebuild Hotel New York in Rotterdam. Eventually he ended up as an exhibition builder in the Kunsthal, started designing again, was chief engineer in the Kunsthal for six weeks, and then went back to his art and design.
In 1994, he received a honourable mention for his spider light. The jury praised the resourceful use of industrial fabricated materials.
At the year-end he had an overview exibition in the Haagse Kunstkring,, the oldest art association in The Hague. Some of his work became internationally known, and Douwe Dekker sold some thousands of his design objects world-widely until 1999.
From 1994 on he has been developing his own philosophy and theory about civilization and science.
Media coverage of his work
*1992 Viva weekblad : KAST-cabinet pictures with commentary on 'Fabricatie Rotterdam'.
*1993 Rotterdam Design: Museum Hillesluis catalog publishes Chair with photo and review
*1993 Maasstad krant: article on Rotterdam Design exhibition with short product review
*1993 De Havenloods krant: Photo art supermaket with 'Spinasbak' (the Spin Ashtray)
*1994 Design tijdschrift special Casa Europea: Photo of 'Chair' with review
*1994 Items tijdschrift: Photo of Spin Ashtray with two lines of text
*1994 Rotterdam Dagblad: article on exhibition in Hilton with pictures of Chickens installation
*1994 Utrecht Present dagblad : Article about U & R with Spin Ashtray photo and short review
*1994 Decors tijdschrift België : Photo Spin Light with a line of text
*1994 Dutch Furniture Awards 1994 flyer: honorable mention Spider Lamp.
*1994 De Telegraaf de woonkrant: article "Meubels in de prijzen" (Furniture with awards prices" with picture of Spider Lamp
*1994 The Parool Etcetera: Article Furniture Prices with Spider Lamp photo and text
*1994 Trouw, , 3 Sept: "Young designers lose themselves too much 'fun'
*1994 Woonbeeld tijdschrift: photo of Spin Ashtray with Lamp and 4 lines of text
*1994 CBK Krant Rotterdam: article about exhibition of applied arts with commentary on Spin Ashtray
*1994 Leesbare Meubels expositie: Hague art circle catalogue with a brief discussion of its own 'letter furniture'
*1994 Haagsche Courant: Article "Letterlijk" reviews the exhibition 'Leesbare Meubels' (Readable Furniture)
*1995 Kringbericht Haagse kunstkring : announcement on lecture about Graphic design language
*1995 Eindhoven Dagblad: Article about U & R with two lines on Spin Light
*1995 Artware Product Catalog 1995 U & R: 3 pages of Spin and Spin Ashtray Lamp
*1995 NRC Handelsblad: Article about Gallery 2 * 2 with commentary on Spider Lamp
*1995 World Interior Design tijdschrift Japan: Photo Spin Ashtray and spider lamp with two paragraphs of text
*1995 Algemeen Dagblad: Article about Gallery 95 with two lines on 'Kiplamp' (Chicken lamp)
*1995 Volkskrant: Article about Gallery 95 with commentary on Kiplamp
*1995 Woonbeeld tijdschrift: Article on 'Woonwerkers' with pictures of Spider Lamp
*1996 Villas tijdschrift België : Article on 'Furniture prices' with photo of Kiplamp
*1996 Intermezzo exhibition newspaper: photo of KASTcabinet with commentary
*1996 Veronica TV woonmagazine: photoreport Apart Design Alkmaar with photo of Spider Lamp
*1996 Rotterdam Dagblad: article about Intermezzo exhibition with photos of KAST
*1996 Volkskrant Agenda: Announcement Intermezzo exhibit of KAST cabinet
*1996 Het Parool Etcetera: Article on Intermezzo exposition with commentary on the 'Alphabet Cabinet'
*1996 NOS Jeugdjournaal: photoreport of Kunst Drive Int with image of 'Zonnebloemstoel' (Sunflower Chair)
*1996 Meubelboek Nederlands meubelontwerp 1986-96 (Dutch Furniture Design Book 1986-96): photo of Spider Lamp with commentary
*1997 Veronica TV woonmagazine: photoreport Ecce Rdam with Pearl Light
*1998 Viva weekblad: bathroom with picture of 'Parel Lamp' (Pearl Light)
*1998 SKK London product catalog 89-99: Spin Lamp page
*1998 Tarzan Maandblad Japan: article on Hotch Potch Tokyo with photo of Spider Lamp
*1999 Visio Maandblad Japan: article 'Daily Needs' with pictures of Spider Lamp
*1999 Rotterdams Dagblad article on Ecce with three lines on 'Bloemlijst' (Flower List)
*1999 De Havenloods: Article on exposition Bib Rdam with commentary on UFO installation
*1999 Terugblik expositie catalogus (Retrospective exhibition catalog): page with photo of KAST cabinet and four paragraphs of text
*1999 Rotterdam TV: documentary on the Retrospective exhibition with image of UFO installation
*1999 Rotterdam TV: interview about the installation at the Retrospective exhibition
*1999 Rotterdam TV: documentary on symposium with a photo of the ASA-lecture
*1999 SKK London product catalog 1999-2000: page with Spin Light
*1999 Rotterdam Dagblad article on 'Salonexpositie' in the 'Kunsthal'

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