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The city of Ghent is set to begin its latest design festival in late April. The Biennial design festival has been thematically set up to portray works of different designers from across the globe, commemorating the idea of sustainability through all its facets in design. As their motto states ‘Be wild, act & change!’ The festival has been strategically curated by Siegrid Demyttenaere to be experimental and inquisitive for all of its expected audience.
The festival celebrates design and art in all of its glory, to be more than just a creative pursuit. It acts as a platform for displaying projects, encouraging collaborations between different designers, knowledgeable institutions and industries. The Ghent design fest 2022 also aims towards creating an expressive space for experiences, meetings, creations and design stimulation. It is all set to see the installations and displays in three major content clusters namely- Look back, move forward and Do care. The first cluster will focus on the revolution of design through the decades focusing on preservation of the ancient arts and crafts with the freedom for experimentation. The second cluster, that is, Move forward, will majorly showcase a display of research on present-day problems and a focus on futuristic solutions.The Do care cluster, as the name suggests will orient itself towards care for the humans, animals and the planet. It will look into a variety of materials and ideas which are ecological, economical and supportive of our mental wellbeing.
Siegrid, works closely with the festival partners and co-curators Christel De Maeyer, Nathalie Goethals, Heleen Sintobin,Claire Warnier, Dries Verbruggen, Bram Vanderbeke and Sep Verboom to present a unique selection of new and existing projects including five main captivating projects. Among the works are Design Studio Unfold’s Clay Automation Lab where Studio Unfold joins forces with KASK conservatorium for displaying their robot-arm clay printer at the Ghent Design Museum. This printer is an active attempt on the studio’s behalf to recreate the ancient Marajoara urn using 3D scans.
Meanwhile, Biobased Creations of Amsterdam works in conjunction with the Embassy of Circular and Biobased building to put forth the ‘Exploded View Materials and Methods’ which is a research based exhibit. It leans into the past, present and the future to investigate developmental and construction practices using bio-based applications and materials. This installation for the Ghent festival is indeed an active think tank for the research and design enthusiasts.
Another exciting installation is Marie Mees and Caroline Voet’s ‘NEST’. A nomadic installation transcending into the tactility of a safe space. As the name suggests, NEST will be focused on exploring the intersection between architecture and textiles. This will be conducted through a provision of wooden panels acting as safe spaces for panel discussions on neurodiversity and patient empowerment along with focused testimonies, workshops etc. Furthermore, Studio Samuel Tomatis brings a series of first-hand researches and experiences for the Ghent Design Festival, on the close link between science and futuristic technology. The studio will be highlighting their ongoing project ‘Alga’ which is a focused study of different types and functions of Algae in the sustainable design industry.
Another important installation to look forward to at the Ghent Festival is Studio Makkink and Bey’s Waterschool M4H+ installation. This is a collaborative installation which features over 30 designers, artists and architects who have been working on utilising sustainable building materials whilst keeping in mind a sustainable approach towards using water.
The Ghent Design Festival will be hosted over a variety of locations across Ghent including the Ghent Design Museum, the DaDa Chapel, De Wilde Route, Gallery Tatjana Pieters, Gallery Casa Argentaurum, Kiosk Gallery, Gallery Atelier, MIRY Concert Hall amongst others. The festival will begin on the 22nd of April 2022 and is scheduled to go on till the 1st May 2022.
What do you think?