This year’s version of the local and international talent showcase is nearly upon us and with Cape Town being the 2014 World Design Capital, it should prove to be something quite special. The main event will run from 26-28 February at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, and these are some of the acts which we believe are worth a closer look.
THE DESIGN INDABA CONFERENCE
1. Scholten & Baijings
Stefan Scholten & Carole Baijings are a Dutch design duo creating passion driven products. Blankets, carpets, bed and table linens, ceramics and glass have all been given a new perspective through innovative materials and color. Their work is easily recognizable by the affinity for geometric patterns and their signature colour palette, which involves a muted, subtle palette complimented by bright flashes of fluorescent. Their ‘Colour One for Mini’ exhibition will be at the Indaba from the 26th of Feb till 2nd March. http://www.scholtenbaijings.com/
2. Michel Rojkind
“Architecture is not a 9-to-5 job it’s a way of life” [source]
Michel Rojkind is part of an exciting new generation of Mexican architects that bring fresh ideas to a context with a strong tradition. He started his architecture studies while also being the drummer of a well-known Mexican rock band, graduating from the Universidad Iberoamericana in 1994. Between 1999 and 2002 he worked with Isaac Broid and Miquel Adriá on Adriá+Broid+Rojkind Arquitectos, In 2002 he started his own studio, Rojkind Arquitectos in 2002. The firm has become famous for the successful conversion of innovative ideas into realities that can be built with local manufacturing skills. http://rojkindarquitectos.com/
3. Tom Hulme
Design Director at IDEO in London, a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. Hulme founded and now runs OpenIDEO & OIEngine. OpenIDEO is an open innovation platform on which a community of over 51,000 users from more than 160 countries solve challenges for social good. The platform won a Webby Award in the Community Category. Prior to attending university, he spent a year teaching secondary school in Tanzania. Favourite topics include tech start-ups, entrepreneurship, technology, design thinking, open innovation, and industry disruption. If you’re feeling the pressure of being a young entrepreneur then this is a great place to rekindle your inspiration and pick up some useful information while you’re at it. http://www.thulme.com/
THE DESIGN INDABA EXPO
4. Quazi Design
Quazi Design is a craft company that transforms waste magazines into original accessories and interiors. The products are design driven and utilize creative craft skills using 100% waste magazine paper. Quazi design was founded 2009 by Doron, a UK designer and Flotsam, the local magazine distributors. This Swaziland based company is an excellent example of how hand driven craft can be used as a vehicle for empowerment and economic independence. http://www.quazidesign.com/
5. Catchatiger Design
Catchatiger Design Studio was founded by Varsity friends Pieter Ludeke & Liesl Rademan in 2010. They run a boutique agency, specializing in corporate identity design, web design & development, illustration, photography and their most recent endeavor, bespoke letterpress printed cards and hand drawn illustrated items. They also run an online store, aptly named the Catchatiger Store. Items stocked include Handmade Letterpress printed Cards, Illustrated Gift Cards, Archival quality Illustrated Fine Art prints and lastly bespoke stationery. www.catchatiger.co.za/
6. Thingking
Thingking, a Cape Town based designer-maker consultancy started by Lyall Sprong and Marc Nicolson. Thingking together with DDB JHB was responsible for the conceptualizing and making of the Converse Block Party Truck, a fold out shop/lounge space/audio visual space equipped with a number of interactive installations. The truck was dressed up to embody the character of the Converse brand and installations included a massive air gun that fired shoe coupons into the air and an interactive basketball hoop shoe dispenser that encouraged people to shoot hoops for shoes. Other projects includes twitter activated vending machines for Toyota Etios and BOS Ice Tea. They were also awarded with the “Most Creative Stand” at Design Indaba Expo 2013. Definitely worth watching out for. http://thingking.co.za/
7. Africa is Now Exhibition
Not just because Tom Dixon is one of the curators… This large-scale exhibition will anchor the Design Indaba Expo. It will be an up-to-the-minute survey of emerging, established and unexpected talent from across the continent. The project will showcase African ingenuity in finding solutions to its own problems, using local materials. What makes African cities unique, and how should we be designing for them? How is traditional craft adapting to contemporary markets? Why have African Fashion Weeks mushroomed up around the world. How is mobile technology meeting the needs of everyday Africans?
The Design Indaba Conference Programme
25 Feb | 14:00 Simulcast registration – Cape Town
25 Feb | 14:00 Conference Registration
26 Feb | 7:00 Simulcast registration – Johannesburg, PE, Durban and Potchefstroom
26 Feb | 8:45 Conference day 1
26 Feb | 9:10 Chris Gotz
26 Feb | 9:50 Juliana Rotich
26 Feb | 10:40 Experimental Jetset
26 Feb | 11:30 Jake Barton
26 Feb | 12:10 Delegate lunch
26 Feb | 13:10 Ije Nwokorie
26 Feb | 13:50 Pecha Kucha: Top graduates at leading global design schools
26 Feb | 15:10 Tom Hulme
26 Feb | 16:10 Thomas Heatherwick
27 Feb | 8:45 Conference day 2
27 Feb | 9:00 DJ Stout
27 Feb | 9:40 South African Chefs: Margot Janse and David Higgs
27 Feb | 10:40 Michel Rojkind
27 Feb | 11:30 Marcello Serpa
27 Feb | 12:10 Extended delegate lunch & Design Indaba Expo preview
27 Feb | 13:30 Scholten & Baijings
27 Feb | 14:10State of the Art: Zanele Muholi, Nandipha Mntambo and Athi-Patra Ruga in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist
27 Feb | 15:30 Clive Wilkinson
27 Feb | 16:20 Lauren Beukes
28 Feb | 8:45 Conference day 3
28 Feb | 9:00 Issa Diabaté
28 Feb | 9:20 89Plus with Hans Ulrich Olbrist and Simon Castets
28 Feb | 10:40 El Ultimo Grito
28 Feb | 11:40 Danish design: Nille Juul-Sørensen, Henrik Vibskov, Mikal Hallstrup and Vinay Venkatraman
28 Feb | 12:40 Delegate lunch
28 Feb | 13:40 Dean Poole
28 Feb | 14:20 David Goldblatt
28 Feb | 15:20 Naoto Fukasawa
28 Feb | 16:10 Stefan Sagmeister
28 Feb | 16:50 Closing
For more information please check out the Design Indaba Website
