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Joseph Grima appointed as creative director of Design Academy Eindhoven

Meet the New Boss

Joseph Grima appointed as creative director of Design Academy Eindhoven

The founder of Italian studio Space Caviar, Joseph Grima, has been appointed as the creative director of Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE) as well as chair of the academy’s executive board.

Grima will begin his tenure starting from September 1 of this year. He will be in charge of the academy’s curriculum and will work alongside Jurriënne Ossewold, a current board member who is director of education, research, and organization. DAE is funded by the Dutch government and is provided a yearly budget of $11.4 million.

The job requirements listed by DAE noted that “a sense of humor […] comes in handy,” going on to add that “ultimately, all this is about the future of our students. No less.”

Grima, who is 40, will take the place of Thomas Widdershoven, who stepped down from the post in 2016. In addition to founding and running Space Caviar, Grima is also director of the New Museum Ideas City festival in New York. In 2015 he co-curated the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial with Sarah Herda.

“Despite the extraordinary proliferation of design schools in recent years, there is still an acute shortage of places that actually question what design is,” said Grima in a press release. “Design Academy Eindhoven isn’t a school where students simply learn design—they design design, and each day rethink the parameters through which it shapes society. I look forward to working with the Academy’s exceptional staff to help them build a place in which the future is born.”

Gitta Luiten, chair of the Supervisory Board, commented on Grima’s appointment: “We looked for someone with an international perspective on design and a heartfelt interest in education. Joseph Grima fits those criteria: his views on design and society and his international experience will benefit the students and the Academy,” she said.

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