The Word for Border is Water, presented at Dutch Design Week 2026, brings together projects that explore our relationship with water, weather and the hidden systems that shape aquatic environments, from lakes, seas and glaciers to currents, ecosystems and atmospheric conditions
Events
The Word for Border is Water
Date
16 October 2026
The Word for Border is Water is the title of the exhibition that we will present at the Class of 26 exhibition during the next Dutch Design Week. The 26th edition of this international event, one of the world's leading design festivals, will take place in Eindhoven from 17 to 25 October.
IED’s selection of projects takes a regenerative approach to understanding, restoring and coexisting with the blue environments that influence life on Earth. More than 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, and the health of aquatic environments affects our bodies, societies, economies and political systems.
Through their work, the designers interpret, highlight and address environmental challenges, social inequalities and often overlooked commons, helping to restore our relationship with the planet's aquatic environments.
As the title suggests, water challenges the notion of boundaries — both physically, as a surface, and conceptually, as a form of separation — and reminds us that what makes an archipelago a whole is the water flowing between its islands. This concept is reflected in design as a discipline that moves towards a more equitable world, both ecologically and socially, where fluid collaboration and transdisciplinary knowledge promote shared well-being without borders.
During the event, visitors will also be able to explore the fourth edition of the Notes on Plural Intelligences journal, Material World, alongside previous issues of the publication. This issue explores the role of materiality today, since it continues to shape how we produce, consume and assign value, yet the systems that sustain it are increasingly revealing their limits. It features contributions that examine long-term ecological relationships and indigenous technologies, explore emerging research in biomaterials, and engage with territories, landscapes and natural heritage.
Projects by: Nicholas Ielpo, Giulia Romano, Lorenzo Russo, Mattia Vinzia, Bilal Ahmed Shibl, Teodoro Fava Rossi, Pietro Ticozzi, Norbert Paggetti, Ibaya Legorburu, Michele Martelloni, Kimberley Cronin, Carina Kalweit, Alessio Gazzola, Riccardo Minute, Luca Sgarlato, Ginevra Sità, Giorgia Rosa Apuzzo, Samuele De Pasquale, Petra Doronzo and Federico Toffolatti.
Download the press kit here.
Manto
Alessio Gazzola, Riccardo Minute, Luca Sgarlato, Ginevra Sità
Rhythm
Giorgia Rosa Apuzzo, Samuele De Pasquale, Petra Doronzo, Federico Toffolatti
Vento
Carina Kalweit
Systemic Reef
Michele Martelloni
Luvia
Nicholas Ielpo, Giulia Romano, Lorenzo Russo, Mattia Vinzia
Abyssea
Bilal Ahmed Shibl, Teodoro Fava Rossi, Norbert Paggetti, Pietro Ticozzi
Más de 2.000 vidas
Ibaya Legorburu
Timbre
Kimberley Cronin
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