Exhibition DesignDays@luxembourg.pavilion

From April 28th through May 5th four Luxembourgish designers, respectively design duos, invite the visitors to explore their creations and concepts at the Luxembourg Pavilion.

This collective exhibition is a cultural snapshot, showcasing different approaches on how to design everyday objects. Some are more focused on craft, heritage and the handmade, others are more focused on high precision and industrial production techniques. Despite their differing methods, they all explore various cultural influences and references and show how contemporary objects are part of our daily life today, both in Europe and beyond.

The exhibition unfolds in two distinct spaces:

• A, an industrial-style archive display presenting a wide selection of objects – furniture, lighting, and decorative items – highlighting the diversity of Luxembourg`s design landscape.
• B, an immersive, domestic setting where a visual projection reveals the creative process, craftsmanship, and technical achievements behind the objects.

If you’re around Osaka, join us for the closing reception on 5 May at 5:00 PM at the Luxembourg Pavilion — Register here.

Luxembourg is a nation with a unique position at the crossroads of Europe. Throughout its history, it has experienced ever-changing rulers, regimes, and influences. As a result, Luxembourg boasts a rich heritage, strongly influenced by the diverse cultures and nations surrounding it, often mixing, adapting, and integrating different virtues from its neighbours.

In this context, Luxembourg’s creativity in the arts and design is as varied and multifaceted as its history. Over recent years, the country’s openness has contributed to the flourishing of its cultural scenes, with many creatives studying and working abroad, while others from abroad have moved to Luxembourg, creating a fertile ground for creativity. This new dynamic, coupled with an active support from cultural institutions, results in a country punching above its weight in terms of design and the arts.

Through a call for proposals, the GIE Luxembourg @ Expo 2025 Osaka openly approached Luxembourg based designers and craftspeople by inviting them to submit their furniture designs for use in the VIP area of the pavilion. The goal was and is to promote Luxembourgish design and craftsmanship while showcasing innovative concepts rooted in circular and resource-efficient economies.

Julie Conrad, driven by a deep interest in the intersection of craftsmanship and industrial production, as well as by a penchant for sustainable design solutions, established her design studio in Luxembourg in 2013 after graduating with highest distinction from Créapôle Paris. Her award-winning studio balances client commissions with self-initiated projects, spanning product and furniture design, spatial installations, graphic design and illustration. She enjoys taking materials out of their initial context and playing with scale, exemplified by her iconic room divider, Unpaper. Her goal is to create moments of surprise and intrigue through design.

Christophe de la Fontaine is co-founder and owner of Dante – Goods and Bads, a German based furniture and home accessory brand with international reputation. Starting his education as a sculptor in Luxemburg he completed his studies with a degree in industrial design, taught by Richard Sapper. Working independently as a product designer ever since he has received numerous international design awards, including the red dot award. Since 2018 he is professor for industrial design at the state academy of fine arts in Stuttgart.

Frank Michels is the co-founder of Geckeler Michels, an industrial design studio established in 2013 with David Geckeler. The German-Luxembourgish duo collaborates with renowned international clients, such as deSede, Fredericia, Functionals, Karimoku, Lodes, Muuto, Nespresso, Nike, Sancal, and Tecta. Born in Luxembourg, Michels studied architecture at Berlin University of the Arts before earning a product design degree from the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam in 2010. He gained experience at the University of Lisbon, working with designer Marco Sousa Santos, and at lighting company RBW in New York. His studio has received multiple awards, including the iF Design Award, Big See Award, and Red Dot Award. His work spans creative direction, furniture, lighting, product, and spatial design, and he has guest-lectured at various design schools.

Georges Zigrand studied 3D design at the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg, France. After ten years of professional experience working for several high-profile design companies in London and receiving several design awards he started his own design studio Georges Zigrand Design Consultancy back in his native Luxembourg. The studio’s work ranges from product & furniture design to exhibition & installation design. Their approach focuses on design solutions deeply interwoven with the given cultural context.