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STIRpad 2022 recap: events and initiatives that STIRred the design calendar
Design festivals and creative events during 2022
Image: Courtesy of Gallery COLLECTIONAL and FIND
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STIRpad 2022 recap: events and initiatives that STIRred the design calendar

Best of 2022: STIR commemorates the year passed by with prominent events and partnerships that highlighted 2022.

by Anushka Sharma
Published on : Dec 01, 2022

As the year approaches its end, as much as it is a time to look forward to new beginnings, it is also a juncture that entails retrospection—an evaluation of the lessons learned, triumphs that illuminate memories, things that provoke gratitude, and most importantly, an acknowledgment of growth. The days are filled with deep sighs of relief, smiles and frown lines from introspection, upheavals of thoughts and emotions, brave acts of letting go, and hoping for a second chance, a new day, a new year.

2022 was a year that symbolised revival, the world regaining its strength, and starting anew after a jarring pandemic. Accompanying this gradual resurrection, life slowly crawled out of the seemingly unending isolation, trickling back into dormant streets and lifting the heavy garb of unnerving silence. The world opened up, animated with events and festivals attracting audiences from across the globe. Design festivals, creative events, design fairs recommenced stronger after a screeching halt of two years, and STIR partnered with a significant number of such seminal international events. As STIR brims with excitement for what lies beyond the brink of the horizon, focusing the spotlight on the Best of 2022 for us, is imperative.

Salone del Mobile.Milano 2022

Salone del Mobile.Milano 2022
Salone del Mobile.Milano 2022Image: Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano, Andrea Mariani
Brera Design District during Milan Design Week 2022
Brera Design District during Milan Design Week 2022Image: Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano, Andrea Mariani

Salone del Mobile.Milano returned in 2022 with its 60th edition following a deferral, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. The illustrious design fair that headlines Milan Design Week took place from June 7 to June 12, 2022, at Fiera Milano Rho in Italy. The furniture fair’s magnificent presence in Milan encapsulated a renewed focus on themes of sustainability, ecological transition, the future of living, as well as the idea of adapting to an ever-transitioning world—lucidly highlighted by the change in lifestyle witnessed over the past two years. The 2022 edition of the fair featured a repertoire of 2,100 exhibitors taking stage in an area of 200,000 square metres. Amidst the simmering creativity that conquered the Salone fairground and the design districts, STIR, seated within their press booth—which debuted at Salone 2022—created a haven for conversations that would stimulate minds with the Business of Design. The STIR press booth at Salone del Mobile - Hall 5/7 S.14, Fiera Milano RHO welcomed visitors to indulge in exciting narratives and new ideas shaping the world of design, architecture, and new-media art.

Art of Storytelling by Kartell x STIR

Highlights from Kartell presents 'Art of Storytelling’ at London Design Festival 2022Image: Courtesy of London Design Festival 2022

Partaking in the creative showcases at the Brompton Design District of London Design Festival 2022, Art of Storytelling was an evening teeming with stirring talks by five leading creatives—elucidating on how they construct narratives through their respective artistic mediums. Fuelled by a desire to explore uncharted waters and reiterate their passion for creation, Italian furniture manufacturer Kartell collaborated with STIR to bring together these five cross-disciplinary creatives who narrated their perspectives on channelling the art of storytelling through their chosen crafts. The voices of prominent creative professionals such as Alexandra Walker, Morag Myerscough, Osman Yousefzada, Tim Marlow OBE, and Vadim Grigoryan—through a sequence of 10-minute presentations—delved into how they observe, create, communicate, and address real-world challenges through art and design.

Dubai Design Week 2022

Dubai Design Week 2022
Dubai Design Week 2022Image: Courtesy of Dubai Design Week
Ground Design at Dubai Design Week 2022
Ground Design at Dubai Design Week 2022Image: Courtesy of Dubai Design Week

Dubai Design Week, an international design fair that demonstrates the region’s allegiance to providing a stage to art, design, architecture, and fashion, returned this year with its eighth iteration. The design event, open to the public from November 8 to November 13, 2022 was held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and a member of the Dubai Council. Dubai Design Week 2022, with its theme Design With Impact, shifted focus towards the importance of creating a sustainable future through activities and presentations in the spheres of architecture, product design, interior design, and multimedia. Hosting trade shows, immersive installations, exhibitions, workshops, talks, and a unique retail experience, the lineup of Dubai Design Week embodied diversity and engagement.

London Design Festival 2022

William Morris Design Line at LDF 2022
William Morris Design Line at LDF 2022Image: Courtesy of William Morris Design Line
Bankside design district at LDF 2022
Bankside design district at LDF 2022Image: Courtesy of Better Bankside

Counted amongst the world’s leading design events, the London Design Festival was back with a celebration of its 20th anniversary from September 17 to September 25, 2022. This milestone marks the festival’s key role in strengthening London's position in the UK, and in the global design, business, culture, and tourism scene. The inaugural edition of Material Matters 2022—based on Grant Gibson’s critically acclaimed podcast of the same name—was the festival highlight that unfolded at Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, from September 22 to September 25, 2022. The design event championed 40 leading brands, designers, makers, and organisations to celebrate the significance of materials in our lives.

Art Dubai

ART Dubai 2022
ART Dubai 2022Image: Courtesy of ART Dubai

Founded in 2007, Art Dubai is a preeminent platform to discover and buy modern and contemporary art from the Global South. Featuring Contemporary and Modern gallery sections, annual artist commissions, and year-round collector and education programmes, Art Dubai is a hub for art and artists, providing a much needed counterbalance to largely Western-led mainstream narratives. Art Dubai’s 15th edition took place from March 11 to March 13, 2022 featuring over 100 exhibitors, representing 44 countries. The programme featured internationally renowned artists, a new digital section bridging the art and crypto world including NFT’s, video art, and virtual reality (VR), along with eye-opening exhibitions and talks.

INDEX Dubai

INDEX Dubai 2022
INDEX Dubai 2022Image: Courtesy of INDEX

Uniting some of the industry’s biggest names and the region’s emerging native talent for a global event, fostering connections and network-building has been the legacy of INDEX, since 1991. Commencing this journey again, INDEX, one of the Middle East's first large-scale trade exhibitions, set the show in motion at the Dubai Trade Center from May 24 to May 26, 2022. The 31st edition of this world-renowned event was marked by a range of expert talks, interactive activations, and conferences with key industry players, making it a crucial date in the design calendar and enticing thousands of global visitors. The programme included engaging initiatives such as Workspace, INDEX Design Talks, Work Design Summit, and Retail Leadership Forum.

Contemporary Istanbul 2022

Contemporary Istanbul 2022
Contemporary Istanbul 2022Image: Courtesy of Contemporary Istanbul

Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey's leading art fair has for long been a venue for the city's vibrant art landscape and creative industries. The international art event, in addition to being a hub for contemporary art and innovative ideas, fosters relationships between artists, galleries, and collectors from around the world. The art festival announced a stellar lineup of galleries from Europe and the Middle East as well as top galleries from North America, Africa, and Asia. The festival returned with its 17th edition between September 17 and September 22, 2022 at Tersane Istanbul, the historical Ottoman-era shipyards on the picturesque shores of the Golden Horn. 1,476 pieces of art by 558 artists were on display at 65 prestigious exhibitions, anthologised by 22 different nations.

LiGHT 22

Light 22 took place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London
Light 22 took place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, LondonImage: Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano, Andrea Mariani

LiGHT 22 threw light upon a plethora of high-end lighting brands and content, bringing them to London as the UK’s sole dedicated high-end lighting specification exhibition for designers, architects, and specifiers. The event emerged as the ideal destination to source latest lighting designs, connect with peers, and interact with established and emerging lighting brands. Held on November 22 and 23, 2022, with more than 100 leading brands showcasing their latest product designs, the event hosted the latest instalment of renowned [d]arc thoughts talks programme, featuring 30 speakers. LiGHT 22 called attention to the ever-expanding design sector and is a new offering for lighting design, built on the foundation of [d]arc media’s knowledge of and experience in the market. The event adorned the Business Design Centre in Islington, London.

FIND — Design Fair Asia

FIND - Design Fair Asia
FIND - Design Fair AsiaImage: Courtesy of FIND

Singapore Design Week, one of Asia’s premiere design festivals, revisited the city after a two-year hiatus with a renewed ethos of exploring design through three pillars—Design Futures, Design Marketplace, and Design Impact. This year, the design festival launched the inaugural edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia, an official anchor event of the Singapore Design Week, organised by dmg events in collaboration with Fiera Milano. FIND ran in tandem with the design week from September 22 to September 24, 2022, at the stunning Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Alongside enlightening panel discussions and masterclasses, attendees got an opportunity to discover furniture design, homeware, lighting design, bathroom, textile, interior design, and product design showcased by over 250 international and regional manufacturers, companies, and brands.

Boston Design Week 2022

Boston Design Week 2022
Boston Design Week 2022Image: Courtesy of Boston Design Week

The 9th Annual Boston Design Week (BDW) took place from April 26 to May 8, 2022 showcasing over 50 virtual, hybrid, and outdoor events citywide, including the annual Design Week Awards. Annually the BDW invites acclaimed guest speakers, panel discussions, exhibitions, and more hosted by design-oriented businesses, universities, museums, and non-profits organisations. This year’s theme emphasised on fields of design that challenge conventional thinking, processes, or materials with the 14-day citywide festival operating to expand the design community, consequently making design more accessible.

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