 previous article in this issue | next article in this issue  |
Preview first page |
Document Details : Title: Achter de schermen van design Subtitle: De rol van Josine des Cressonnières (1926-1985) in het Belgische en internationale designbeleid Author(s): SERULUS, Katarina Journal: Tijdschrift voor Interieurgeschiedenis en Design Volume: 45 Date: 2023 Pages: 71-89 DOI: 10.2143/GBI.45.0.3292629 Abstract : Josine des Cressonnières (1926-1985) occupied an important position in the post-war design world. In her home country Belgium she played a key role in the post-war institutionalisation of industrial design for over thirty years. She started in 1956 as secretary general of the Benelux design prize Het Gouden Kenteken (The gold badge) (1956-1966) and from 1961 she held the same position for the Instituut voor Industriële Vormgeving voor België en het Groothertogdom Luxemburg (Institute of Industrial Design for Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg) (1956-1971). When the Design Centre opened its doors in Brussels she was appointed director, a position she held for over twenty years until her death in 1985. Des Cressonnières was not just active in Belgium, but also for sixteen years (1961-1977) a key player within the international design community as secretary general of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). This article contains a detailed investigation of Des Cressonnières’s network, her intellectual development and her impact on Belgian and international design policy. Her career presents us with several interesting angles to study the design culture of that period. First of all, it offers us insights into the various actors operating behind the scenes of design, such as policymakers and design institutes. Secondly, Des Cressonnières is one of the few women in leadership positions in design organisations to exert so much influence within the world of industrial design, a discipline historically dominated by men; at various points in her career Des Cressonnières was confronted by sexism and hit a glass ceiling. Finally, her unique position at the crossroads of different design networks provides an interesting perspective on the interwoven complexity of personal, national and international agendas. Design policy and promotion in the postwar period were largely based on a national logic, but Des Cressonnières’s case illustrates the many offshoots beyond the national borders while revealing the interesting intersections of national, translational and international forces within the design world. |
|
