Singapore Design Week (SDW) is marching forward and advancing ahead to the positive changes design can bring to our lives. In a drive towards deeper engagement with participants, the fourth edition of SDW will celebrate all things design through more than 100 local and international events and programmes. SDW is organised by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) and supported by key and fringe partners. It is from 3 to 12 March 2017 and is held at the National Design Centre and various locations across Singapore. Dsg will also collaborate with Time Inc. for the Innovation by Design Conference on 7 to 8 March 2017.
“SDW is very different from the other design festivals, in that our narrative of design has broadened over the years, and this has been demonstrated through our programming. Singapore Design Week engages businesses and C-suite to help them understand how design can be used in business strategy. It showcases the importance of design in social innovation and national identity. At the same time, we are excited to see the creative and craftsmanship of local designers grow from strength to strength every year, and grateful that they see SDW as a key platform to showcase their work. We are especially thrilled to announce our new collaboration with global media company Time Inc. for the Innovation by Design Conference. The collaboration enhances Singapore as a global city for design,” said Ms Agnes Kwek, Executive Director, DesignSingapore Council.
Innovation by Design Conference is the feature conference of SDW. Through the collaboration with Time Inc and the company’s Fortune, TIME and Wallpaper* brands, the conference will feature the theme Design. Innovate. Transform. Discussion topics will include design and technology, and how design can transform businesses and organisations, and more. Attendees will include designers, businesses, C-suite executives and leaders from the public and private sectors
“Time Inc. recognises Singapore’s position as a global design and business hub. The city has driven the strategic adoption of design among businesses and public agencies,” said Norman Pearlstine, Vice Chairman of Time Inc. “We are pleased to collaborate with the DesignSingapore Council on the Innovation by Design Conference. Participants can expect to hear unique insights from some of the world’s foremost business and design leaders that our global brands have convened.”
Key Event Highlights
SingaPlural, the anchor event of SDW, is from 7 to 12 March at the F1 Pit Building. Curated by award-winning design firm, BLACK, SingaPlural 2017 will present new perspectives with a refreshing take on design and how its influences our daily lives. The theme Stories – A New Perspective will feature installations, including a display by international clothing brand, UNIQLO.
International Furniture Fair Singapore 2017 (IFFS), another key partner event of SDW, is Asia’s premier sourcing and design-led furniture trade show presenting the latest design concepts and furniture range for the home, as well as a virtual reality showcase. IFFS is co-located with the newly rebranded Nook Asia and held in conjunction with the 34th ASEAN Furniture Show. IFFS is from 9 to 12 March at the Singapore EXPO.
Singapore + Wallpaper* Handmade Classics will mount a debut exhibition in Singapore. It is a specially curated showcase of original, one-off pieces and unique design collaborations commissioned by Wallpaper* magazine and created by internationally renowned talents from past Handmade editions. The theme of the exhibition – MultipliCITY – acknowledges Singapore’s heritage of adaptability, versatility, diversity and invention. The exhibition is from 9 March to 11 June at Gillman Barracks.
Frontliners in Action: architects and the people create a better living environment is a collective exhibition comprising Space to Imagine, Room for Everyone commissioned by Dsg and curated by NUS; Limit/Limitless by MKPL; and Living Shelter by WY-TO and Pod Structures. The exhibitions were first mounted at the15th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (also known as the Venice Architecture Biennale) in 2016. Frontliners in Action demonstrates how architects must constantly be resourceful in surmounting space and resource constraints, to find solutions that address “frontline” challenges. These challenges may be social, environmental, natural or even man-made. Increasingly, citizens are also exerting their influence in enhancing the environment, through active support and participation in ground-up initiatives. Architects and the people, therefore, are our extraordinary “frontliners”. This feature exhibition of SDW runs from 3 March to 8 April at the National Design Centre Atrium.
Design, Make & Craft Fair will give everyone the opportunity to understand the creative process of making and to appreciate design in everyday life. The Fair is curated by Supermama and In the Wild’s Clara Yee, with the theme Creating a Better World by Design. Visitors can attend hands-on workshops to design, make and craft objects, guided by designers, makers and craftsmen from Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region. The Fair is from 4 to 5 March at The Plaza on Level 1 of the National Library Building.
Design Trails, a perennial crowd-puller, will return for the fourth time to take visitors on a Design Day Out in the City, to inspired design spots in and around the city. Participants can get an insider’s peek into spaces and studios of the creative community. They can also learn to appreciate design through talks and demonstrations. The Trails are from 11 to 12 March.
For details of SDW events and programmes, please refer to www.designsingapore.org/SDW