Wiping the New Age is to curate a unique and personalized birthday party for Dutch designer Gijs Bakker, celebrating his transition from 80 to 81 years old and referencing his past design work. 

The party theme is inspired by Gijs Bakker's 1998 design for HEMA, a dish mop replaced with a black sesame sponge chiffon cake for the party. The cake is designed with the numbers 80 and 81 printed on a plate, with cream on top of the number 81. 

Guests are encouraged to use the cake to wipe the cream, revealing 81 as a symbol of Gijs Bakker's shift to the new age. The number 8 in the design borrows the infinity symbol, representing the ongoing and infinite nature of Gijs Bakker's creative spirit. The party also includes traditional Chinese customs of the host giving bowls to the guests, in this case, mops and cleaned dishes as souvenirs.

Credit:

Photo: Angeline Behr/ Fin Zhao / Yi Shu (editing)

Tea: Cha Art Amsterdam

Tea sommelier: Mariella Erkens

Cake: Alice Li

Hosting: Jane Chan