softnews project installation
image © designboom

studio makkink & bey are exhibiting softnews project as part of the exhibition
and social action intitiative efeito D (D-effect) at experimentadesign lisboa 09.
efeito D aims to raise awareness and provide a new source of income to finance the activities
of diferenças - a children's development centre that helps and supports children with cognitive
and development problems.

for their softnews project, studio makkink & bey looked at a different way of recording
and delivering news. based on the tradition of portugal's lover's handkerchiefs
and working with the down syndrome community, softnews handkerchiefs are sewn with
the text and images of news reports from all over the world. the handkerchiefs are sold as
unique translations of history, whereby the news finds a new meaning and destination.

'words have more than one meaning. indeed, it is often the translation of the storyteller
or audience which makes information more interesting. news can also have more than
one meaning. there are different sides to every story and numerous people involved in
communicating the facts can distort information to create new narratives.' - SM&B

hand-drawn pieces of news from the new york times, along with a hand-drawn ruler and paper clips
image © designboom