6x Makers’ Labs in North Brabant
North Brabant and Eindhoven, in particular, are known worldwide for design. They are hubs for social design and conceptual design: designs that are not only beautiful in their own right but that can also make the world more beautiful. They provide innovative solutions to social and technological issues. Designers from across the globe come to North Brabant to experiment and learn in makers’ labs. And as a visitor, you can take a peek inside these makers’ labs. We have put together a list of them for you.
1. TextielLab at the TextielMuseum, Tilburg
The TextielMuseum in Tilburg is a dynamic and creative working museum, housed in a former textile factory. It is the only place in the world where textile, design, art, fashion, heritage and innovation come together. The TextielLab, in the heart of the museum, is where professionals experiment and create using weaving, knitting, embroidery, tufting and laser cutting techniques, for example. And you can peek over their shoulders during a visit to the museum. It’s a truly unique experience!
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TextielMuseum
TextielMuseum
2. Lithography workshop in the Dutch Museum of Lithography
Valkenswaard is home to the only museum in the world entirely dedicated to the art of lithography and lithographic printing. Lithography is a flat-surface printing technique, based on the physical principle that water and oil repel each other. An image or text is drawn onto a special limestone in thick ink, before being printed on paper. It’s a centuries-old technique still used in ASML’s state-of-the-art microchip machines, just a few miles from Valkenswaard. The Dutch Museum of Lithography has the most specialised lithography workshop in the Netherlands, where novices and experienced makers can create their own lithographs.
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Dutch Museum of Lithography
Dutch Museum of Lithography
3. ‘Schoenenlab’ in the Shoe Quarter in Waalwijk
The Shoe Quarter in the centre of Waalwijk connects the rich history of the leather and shoe industry with the future. This family museum contains an enormous collection of more than 20,000 objects, including 12,000 shoes. The Schoenenlab (Shoe Lab) is the beating heart of the museum, where you smell the leather and hear the machines whirring. Makers, visitors, designers, students and businesses come together here to experiment, learn and create.
‘If you want to find out more about the history of the leather industry, get on a bike and pedal through the past and present of the leather and shoe industry in Waalwijk along the Waalwijk Leather Route.’
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The Shoe Quarter
The Shoe Quarter
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Waalwijk Leather Route | Made in Brabant
Waalwijk Leather Route | Made in Brabant
1 hour 40 minutes 30 km
4. EKWC in Oisterwijk
'Unique place'
The EKWC, European Ceramic Work Centre, is a unique place in Oisterwijk, dedicated to the artistic and technical development of ceramics in art, design and architecture. Each year, 60 makers from all creative disciplines stay here for three months to work with ceramics. Visitors are also warmly welcome to come and take a look. You can join a guided tour or visit one of the open studio afternoons.
5. Vincent’s Lightlab in Van Gogh Village Museum in Nuenen
In Van Gogh Village Museum in Nuenen, you learn about Vincent van Gogh as a person and follow the path to his first masterpiece, ‘The Potato Eaters’. You discover how important Vincent’s Brabant period was to the rest of his body of work. The museum also contains Vincent’s Lightlab. In this laboratory, you can experiment with the effects of light and see the world as Vincent saw it. The space is specially designed for children aged 9 to 16 but it is also a great place for younger children and adults to explore.
6. Bio Art Labaratories in Eindhoven
BioArt Laboratories is a creative hub and foundation in Eindhoven where art, (bio)technology and nature go hand in hand. International artists and scientists collaborate on innovative, sustainable projects here. They use living materials, such as fungi and algae, to find solutions to social challenges. Founder Jalila Essaidi, for example, has converted cow manure into valuable raw materials, which can be used to make products such as a bulletproof material and fashionable dresses. The lab is housed in a former military bunker complex from the Second World War and is open to visitors for guided tours and by appointment.
