FM2Xshare* asked Studio Smeerolie for a custom fit flower nursery. An installation that expresses their ideas of working together. This resulted in a completely new design, in which all bouquets are connected together. When you pull one string, the entire installation starts to move. Like a flock of flowers reshaping itself.

* Self-employed entrepreneurs are like a flock of birds. Sometimes they work individually, other times they form groups. FM2share is the largest facility swarm in the Netherlands. The members organized FM2Xplore, an event to show what they can achieve together. Their focus is on sharing knowledge and developing creative and innovative solutions.

On Wednesday September the 19th, the LFB organized the symposium “Hé, I participate!”. The LFB is an association by and for people with a disability. With this symposium they wanted to bring people with and without disabilities in contact with each other and create awareness for their participation in society. For this symposium Studio Smeerolie developed two interactive projects that would enhance the communication between the visitors.

During the event two ladies walked around in the audience, distributing compliments between the people. These ‘praise ladies’ offered little medallions on a tray. The visitors could pick one of the five categories, formulate a personal compliment and give this praise away to start a chat.

In addition to the compliments, there was also space for a more critical sound. Very often people with disabilities do not feel like they are taken seriously. People talk about them instead of with them and this may lead to a lot of frustration and irritation that often remains invisible for others. ‘Let’s cut to the nut’ offers an outlet and a stage for these frustrations.

A huge pile of peanuts, a life-size music staff and a committed musician are the basic ingrediënts to “cut to the nut”. Visitors could put down their irritations, tips or advice on the matter on a ticket attached to the peanut and place their nut on the stave. If they were highly irritated they could post their note on the top line, but when the frustration was less deeply rooted, they placed their note a bit lower.  Together the nuts formed a melody with content and was performed live at the end of the evening.

In the beginning of juli the HMC (vocational college for woodworking, furniture and interior design) exposes the work of her graduate students. This year, Studio Smeerolie had the honor to open the exposition. The pop-up flower nursery was situated at the middle of the entrance hal and was filled with 400 colorful lilies. A flower for each student who graduated.

After the openingsspeech of Heleen van Baarsen, director of HMC Amsterdam, three students exposed the flowers to the public and the exhibition was opened.

As a symbol of fertility, dedication and pride the 400 lilies formed one big bouquet together. When the show ended, each student received their own flower and went his or her separate way.

Next to the Flower Nursery, Studio Smeerolie created six large bouquets that were spread out through the building.

Milan in april, the design capital, is the perfect place to discover the latest work of designers from around the world. The prominent furniture and design trade show in the world, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, traditionally marks the start of the new design year.
This year Studio Smeerolie showed her pop-up flower nursery “forget-me-not” to the international design audience in Ventura Lambrate.
Studio Smeerolie creates service design on-site. She actively involves visitors in her work, plays with their expectations, and breaks into people’s imagination. In Milan, Studio Smeerolie will give her vision on service design: “An unexpected service that makes itself indispensable. Interaction between the audience and my work is vital. Without the audience’s interpretation my work is just an empty shell. Studio Smeerolie is actually the catalyst for ideas and contact between people.”

This spring Studio Smeerolie will set Milan in bloom during the design week. From 17 to 22 April 2012, pop-up flower nursery Forget-me-not will be on display at Via Massimiano 6, in the Ventura Lambrate area.

This year Forget-me-not exposes her service at the international Trade Fair in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. The pop-up flower nursery is part of the vision wall, where innovative possibilities for the consumer market will be on display.