“Kölner Klopfer” 2017 to Henrik Vibskov

Students of KISD – Köln International School of Design have on June 16 awarded the “Kölner Klopfer” to Danish fashion designer Henrik Vibskov. The “Kölner Klopfer” is the annual prize of KISD, an institute of TH Köln, for excellent national and international designers, chosen by a mere student jury and therefore unique of its kind in the realm of design awards. Blurring the boundaries between the disciplines and being considered to be representative of the “New Nordic Movement“, Vibskov’s works range from fashion, art, interior design to film and music. Chosen works of Henrik Vibskov were shown in an exhibition in Cologne-Ehrenfeld from June 16 to June 18.

Henrik Vibskov studied at renowned Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, and graduated in 2001 before returning to Denmark where he set up his own fashion label. His work has been exhibited at museums around the world, including MoMA PS1 in New York, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. For the Swan Lake ballet at the Oslo Opera House, Vibskov served as costume designer. Artists and musicians like Björk, Franz Ferdinand, The Arctic Monkeys, and Sigur Ros were spotted in Henrik Vibskov’s designs. In the realm of music, he additionally acts as a drummer for the Danish musician and producer Trentemøller. Vibskov became a guest professor at Design School Kolding and set up P:I:G (Practical Intelligent Genius Foundation), a foundation that supports and promotes young creative talents.

“The Transparent Tongue“, “The Solar Donkey Experiments, and “The Shrink Wrap Spectacular“ are just a few titles of Vibskov’s runway shows, referring to eccentric and captivating universes that accompany each of his wearable collections: vibrant color palettes, bizarre proportions, and an unconventional contrast of elegance and rebellion constitute his unique signature, which is recognizable across all the disciplines he has been engaging in. Vibskov’s designs have been awarded with numerous prizes such as Præmieringen from the Danish Arts Foundation in 2009, the Söderberg Prize in 2011, and the Jury Prize at the Danish Fashion Awards in 2012.

“Danish creative Henrik Vibskov succeeds in transcending the conventional categories of ‘fashion designer’ and ‘artist’ by engaging himself in various creative disciplines, for example in music, art, film, design, and also through his great talent for outstanding fashion collections. We are pleased and happy to announce that Henrik Vibskov has been awarded with the Kölner Klopfer 2017,” stressed this year’s KISD student jury. On the occasion of the “Kölner Klopfer”, KISD students curated an exhibition of selected works from Vibskov from June 16 to June 18 at Kunsthalle Marienstrasse in Cologne-Ehrenfeld. At the award ceremony, KISD students Charlotte Werth, Katharina Wilting, and Madeleine Sahl presented the “Kölner Klopfer” to Henrik Vibskov.

The “Kölner Klopfer”:

Since 1996, students of KISD – Köln International School of Design honor outstanding and distinguished domestic and international designers through the “Cologne Thumper” prize for their efforts and works in the realm of design. In a plenary meeting and subsequent election, candidates are chosen, elected by secret ballot with the winner finally awarded with the “Cologne Thumper.”

Awardees of the “Cologne Thumper“ have been so far:
Erik Spiekermann (1996), Axel Kufus (1997), Droog Design (1998), Anna Castelli Ferrieri (1999), Motoko Ishii (2000), John Maeda (2001), James Auger (2002), Heinz Bähr (2005), Stefan Sagmeister, Ingo Maurer (2009), Dieter Rams (2010), Erik Kessels (2011), R. & E. Bouroullec (2012), Eike König (2013), Jerszy Seymour (2014), Sarah Illenberger (2015), and Mike Meiré (2016).

Kölner Klopfer 2017

Laureate: Henrik Vibskov
Award ceremony and vernissage:
Friday, June 16, 2017, 7 pm,
Exhibition opening hours:
Saturday, June 17, 2017: 2 pm to 6 pm
Sunday, June 18, 2017: 2 pm to 8 pm (finissage)
Kunsthalle Marienstrasse (all three days)
Marienstrasse 73, 50825 Cologne-Ehrenfeld