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Kato Herbots

@katoherbots

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Product designer and researcher
03.10-04.01 @designmuseumgent
14.10- 30.01 @circolodeldesign
27.10-27.01 @octavecowbell

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Terra Formata, as part of my residency @designregiok

Last year’s installation view @rhizome_art_

Image 1, 3 @dietervancaneghem

#design #research #materialdrivendesign taken in Kortrijk, Belgium by @katoherbots

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2 days ago

Terra Formata, as part of my residency @designregiok

Terra Formata explores contaminated soil from former clay pits in Kortrijk as an alternative raw material for ceramics.

Due to clay’s unique absorbent properties, clay layers are considered one of the safest geological environments for storing metals and toxic substances that cannot be further recycled. Nature parks commonly established on former landfill sites obscure this layered history and its ongoing presence in the soil. Taking this new material reality as a starting point, Terra Formata brings this hidden material back to the surface.

Contaminated soils are tested both as clay bodies and glazes, revealing a rich color palette shaped by firing temperature and the soil’s mineral/waste content. Beyond their aesthetic qualities, the experiments demonstrate how the ceramic process can immobilise heavy metals and toxic substances, preventing their further dispersal into the environment. Moreover, the soil’s remarkable melting properties open up potential pathways toward food-safe applications

Terra Formata questions what local resources remain available to us today, and how they may shape alternative forms of production within current realities marked by pollution.

Image 1 by @loucruard
Image 2 by @dietervancaneghem

Many thanks to @designregiok, @lisevantendeloo, @loucruard, @ug_gis, Hélène, @academiekortrijk for this opportunity, inspiring context and time in Kortrijk 🤍

#design #research #materialdrivendesign #glazes by @katoherbots

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6 months ago

Research in context of Terra Formata, as part of my residency @designregiok

During this residency, I explored the landscape of Kortrijk in relation to local clay extraction and ceramic production.

The presence of clay in the soil around Kortrijk has formed the foundation of a rich ceramic tradition for decades, and continues to shape the region’s material culture today. Less visible, however, is how these same clay layers, and industry, are inseparably connected to a parallel infrastructure: that of landfills and waste disposal sites.

Due to its unique absorbent properties, clay is considered one of the safest geological environments for storing heavy metals and toxic substances that cannot be further recycled. Nature parks commonly established on former landfill sites obscure this layered history and its ongoing presence in the soil. Meanwhile, beneath our feet, a new material condition is formed shaped by both geological processes and human activity.

Taking this new material reality as a starting point, Terra Formata raises the question of design’s responsibility within layered landscapes of natural resources and waste.

Image: Landfill site in a former clay pit in Marke, now Marionettenpark © Stad Kortrijk

#design #research #materialdrivendesign by @katoherbots

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6 months ago

Only a few days left to visit Woven Whispers @cidgrandhornu, an exhibition curated by @belgiumisdesign 🪡

Woven Whispers is a nod to Belgium’s rich textile history and brings together the innovative and refined qualities of textiles, while emphasising the craftsmanship and expertise of the various designers.

Woven Whispers was previously on display at Milan Design Week @alcova.milano.

picture 1,4: © @carolinedethier
picture 2,3: © @elinewillaert by @katoherbots

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10 months ago

Woven Whispers - Meet the MDW25 designers ⁠@milan.design.week⁠
@katoherbots is a product designer whose work explores the dynamic relationship between people, material and context, which she actively transforms. At the heart of her practice, materials and narrative meet to create a rich and meaningful dialogue. With an approach that is both sensitive and grounded in context, she uses design as a critical tool to question current visions of the world and imagine alternative scenarios for the future. Combining in-depth research, material explo-ration and narrative, her approach deconstructs received ideas and opens the way to new perspectives. Her work is expressed in a variety of ways, from product design to research-led installations.⁠
Kato Herbots’ research project “Residents of Solar Space” proposes alternative materials and approaches as part of a new awareness of the sun.⁠
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Scenography @itwashier⁠
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Press @nicolettamurialdo ⁠
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Portrait picture @olympe.tits / other pictures @studio.esmeralda_emanuela⁠
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A Belgium is Design event organised by @flandersdcfordesign, @mad.brussels and @wbdesignmode⁠
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📍ALCOVA @alcova.milano⁠
Villa Bagatti Valsecchi⁠
7 - 13.04.2025⁠
Open daily 11am - 7pm⁠
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Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 48⁠
20814 Varedo, Italy⁠
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#MDW25 #milandesignweek25 #Alcova2025 #AlcovaMilano #VillaBagattiValsecchi #belgiumisdesign #belgiumisdesign #belgiandesigners #WovenWhispers ⁠⁠ taken in Villa Bagatti Valsecchi by @katoherbots

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2 years ago

Our 3 Designers in Residence welcome you for their exhibition METAMORPHOSIS presenting the results of their design research, inspired by the region’s rich ceramic tradition.

@ug_gis @loucruard @katoherbots

📍 @rhizome_art_ Koning Albertstraat 2 Kortrijk
Today 5/12 till 7pm
Tomorrow 6/12 10am - 5pm
Free entry

Portrait by @dietervancaneghem by @katoherbots

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10 months ago

Residents of Solar Space is één van de winnaars van een Henry van de Velde Award 26 in de categorie Design Research! Of het project goud, zilver of brons krijgt is nog afwachten tot 27 januari.

Stemmen voor de Public Gold Award kan alvast tot 17 december via de link in bio!

Residents of Solar Space onderzoekt hoe ontwerp kan bijdragen aan een gezondere, bewustere omgang met de zon. Het project verkent alternatieven voor de huidige zonverzorging, zoals zonnecrèmes en voedingssupplementen, door de ontwikkeling van objecten die praktische oplossingen bieden én op bewustwording doelen. Door de relatie tussen zon, gezondheid en materialen fundamenteel te herdenken, stelt Residents of Solar Space alternatieve materialen en objecten voor die een gezond en duurzaam leven onder de zon mogelijk maken.

Foto door @esmeralda_emanuela by @katoherbots

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a year ago

Kunstwerk uitgelicht ✨ “𝗦𝘂𝗻’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿”
verbeeldt de invloed van de zon als bron van leven, ritme en geluk. @finilsbroekx zette dit onderzoek om naar krachtige beelden, die vervolgens door @katoherbots geborduurd werden op UV-gevoelige stof. Met de tijd zal deze verkleuren, waardoor de zon deel wordt van het werk!
• expo Bewoners van de Zonneruimte
• ma-vrij: 12-18u | woe + zat: 10-16u
• vrije toegang
• 15/03 gratis rondleiding door Kato Herbots

De gidsbeurt is gratis maar inschrijven is verplicht via
https://tinyurl.com/3u2wznjs by @katoherbots

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2 years ago

Too much sun harms our health, but so does a lack of sunlight. In response, we smear ourselves with chemicals or reach out to the pharmaceutical industry for nutritional supplements to make up for our lack of sunlight. In contrast, 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 offers alternative approaches and materials for in a new awareness to the sun.

The solar blanket, with integrated sun (bathing) dial, emphasises time as an important factor in seeking the sun. The blanket provides insight into vitamin D production and shows how long you can be unprotected in the sun based on the UV index and your skin type. Moreover, a UV-sensitive yarn changes the pattern, further emphasising the power of the sun over time.

Residents of Solar Space creates a new narrative combining scientific knowledge, materials and design to promote a healthier and more sustainable life under the sun.

Special thanks to Niek Kosten, Johanna Seelemann, Rayah Wauters, dermatologist Maselis, B&T Textila, MIAT Gent, Ann Wiame, Noepi Wiame, Wim Buts & Stany Vannitsem for the support and practical realization.

image by @esmeralda_emanuela

#design #research #contextual #alternative #materials #materialdrivendesign by @katoherbots

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2 years ago

Too much sun harms our health, but so does a lack of sunlight. In response, we smear ourselves with chemicals or reach out to the pharmaceutical industry for nutritional supplements to make up for our lack of sunlight. In contrast, 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 offers alternative approaches and materials for in a new awareness to the sun.

The solar blanket, with integrated sun (bathing) dial, emphasises time as an important factor in seeking the sun. The blanket provides insight into vitamin D production and shows how long you can be unprotected in the sun based on the UV index and your skin type. Moreover, a UV-sensitive yarn changes the pattern, further emphasising the power of the sun over time.

Residents of Solar Space creates a new narrative combining scientific knowledge, materials and design to promote a healthier and more sustainable life under the sun.

Special thanks to Niek Kosten, Johanna Seelemann, Rayah Wauters, dermatologist Maselis, B&T Textila, MIAT Gent, Ann Wiame, Noepi Wiame, Wim Buts & Stany Vannitsem for the support and practical realization.

image by @esmeralda_emanuela

#design #research #contextual #alternative #materials #materialdrivendesign by @katoherbots

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2 years ago

Scans of my thesis ‘𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒’ 🌞

The sun is a complex phenomenon encompassing a wide range of matter and issues.
Residents of Solar Space approaches this complexity from a design perspective, exploring the subject matter and proposing alternatives.

The project opens the broader social debate on how we interact with the sun and our health, and offers tangible alternatives.

Mentored by Niek Kosten

Image 1: excerpt video-essay
Image 2: @esmeralda_emanuela ✨ by @katoherbots

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2 years ago

mooi mooier mooist by @katoherbots

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2 years ago