Mikaela Dörfel (FI) + Andreas Fabian (DE)

Sensual Dining

September 1st – September 7th 2019

The Workshop

Social etiquettes often create a distance between food and us instead of enhancing our pleasures from food. The science of gastrophysics actually proves that flavour is rather created in our brains than in our mouths and that our dining experience is informed by all primary senses. Taste balance, aromatic complexity, temperature, and texture do play fundamental roles but other aspects such as our expectations and memories or the context in which we eat and drink shape our experiences more than we imagine.

This workshop takes all this into consideration but focuses on our tableware: its material, surface, texture, colour, temperature, weight, and connotations. It aims to explore the multi sensorial aspects of eating and dining and to find ways of enhancing that through a design of alternative eating vessels and utensils beyond cultural boundaries. Our materials for this exercise are ceramics and metal as well as stuff found in the surroundings of Boisbuchet. The basics of working with metal and ceramics will be demonstrated and no prior material experience is required.

Workshop Categories

Mikaela Dörfel was born in Finland in 1962. After she studied Industrial Design at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg she worked as Design Manager at Rosenthal AG from 1988 until 1996. There she was responsible for the porcelain – and cutlery development for all Rosenthal brands including the hotel ranges. She coordinated all product developments between production, marketing and distribution and managed external projects by designers such as Jasper Morrison, Ron Arad, Michele de Lucchi and Queensberry/Hunt.
1997 she founded her own studio, Dörfel-Design near Hamburg. There she focused on designing tableware for leading companies in Tabletop such as WMF, Stelton and Menu (DK), Fürstenberg, Schönwald, mono, Wilkens, Zwilling (D), Nambé (USA), Vista Alegre (P) and RAK (UAE).

Her work is identified by high demands on a clear formal language and creative ideas, which are as simple as possible and consistent implemented in detail. Together with an excellent functionality and an elegant modern handwriting this ensures an outstanding longevity of the design. Several of her prices as the Red Dot Award, IF Award, Good Design Award, Chicago, and the German Design Award confirm her design attitude. 

In 2014 she cofounded IntoConcrete, Inc. in USA and Mexico (production) being  responsible for product development and corporate identity.  
Since 2017 she is alongside lecturing as visiting professor at Burg Giebichenstein, University of Art and Design in Halle (D) running experimental projects as  “Concrete + 2nd material” and market oriented projects as “Between Fine Dining and Canteen”.

www.doerfel-design.de/en/home

Fabian is a German Designer and Silversmith whose work unites philosophy, aesthetics and functionality. Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, he has designed for luxury brands such as Rosenthal and for 20 years until 2017, he was an educator and researcher at Buckinghamshire New University, UK. In 2011 he was awarded a PhD for his research on “Spoons and Spoonness” by Brunel University. Fabian continues to exhibit widely both nationally and internationally, with his work residing in prestigious collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Over the past years Fabian collaborated with Charles Michel (French – Columbian cook and researcher) to design eating utensils that increase the sensual pleasure of eating and encourage healthier consumption behaviours.

www.andreasfabian.eu

Housing

  • Accommodation & food are included

  • We can accommodate for special catering

  • All participants sleep in dormitories

  • To book a private room or bring additional guests, get in touch: workshops@boisbuchet.org

Education

  • Our staff are available to help you conceptualize & produce your designs

  • Tools & materials are provided by Boisbuchet

  • All workshops are taught in English

  • The number of participants is limited to 22

Activities