Singapore Design Week returns from 21 September to 1 October with the theme “Better by Design” and a roster of events aimed at shaping a better future. With so many things to see, we pick 8 you can check out.
19 September 2023
Top image: Lasalle College of the Arts
Text by Olha Romaniuk
Embodying the desire to always seek to make lives better using design, Asia’s premier design festival organised by DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) is back with an expansive showcase of Singapore’s distinctive brand of creativity.
Encompassing the festival hub at the National Design Centre and extending to Design Districts at Bras Basah, Bugis, Marina Bay, Orchard and many other satellite locations, Singapore Design Week (SDW) 2023 explores this year’s “Better by Design” theme with talent showcases, design forums, fairs, workshops and design community events that celebrate Singapore’s resourceful design spirit and champion design solutions with unbridled creativity. With over 80 programmes to choose from, we zoom in on eight you can check out.
#1 Playground of Possibilities
Dates: 21 September 2023 – 1 January 2024
Location: National Design Centre, Atrium
Admission: Free
Presented by BLACK, Playground of Possibilities tackles some of today’s most pressing challenges with four immersive playscapes – Explore, Empathise, Imagine, and Adapt – that will transport visitors into diverse settings ranging from a ‘mini’ public housing town designed to be dementia-friendly to a kitchen with “Smart’ ceramic tableware that responds to the human touch. All together comprising 12 design projects from Singapore, Playground of Possibilities is a fun showcases for people of all ages that demonstrates how designers can turn problems into opportunities and new possibilities.
#2 Future Impact: Homecoming Showcase
Dates: 20 September 2023 – 1 October 2023
Location: National Design Centre, Design Gallery 3
Admission: Free
How can using Artificial Intelligence for designing furniture and interactive wall posters that transform seeds into art transform our relationship with nature? Find out the answer at Future Impact: Homecoming where six homegrown designers – Tiffany Loy, Nathan Yong, Forest & Whale, Viewport Studio, Gabriel Tan and Studio Juju – showcase their works that marry cutting-edge technique and storytelling to demonstrate Singapore’s design optimism and commitment to a brighter future.
#3 Re-Imagining Tomorrow: A LaSalle Product Design Showcase
Dates: 21 September 2023 – 1 October 2023
Location: Gardens by the Bay, Foyer beside Main Ticketing counter
Admission: Free
An exhibition produced by Level 2 students from LASALLE College of the Arts examines taste, care and well-being for lower to middle-income consumers. Check out prototypes developed during a 14-week course that explore sustainability, connectivity and smarter use of technology for uplifting consumer experiences.
#4 Made with Passion
Dates: 27 September 2023 – 9 November 2023
Location: Design Orchard
Admission: Free
Explore the Made with Passion collection of products from brands driven by passion for their craft. Presented by Design Orchard, the event spans categories like Fashion, Accessories, Beauty and more and showcases a diverse array of Singapore’s homegrown brands that are created to elevate personal style and are made with love.
#5 Sustainability Comes in Pairs: Recycled Chopsticks to Lifestyle Objects
Dates: 21 September 2023 – 1 October 2023
Location: Design Orchard
Admission: Free
A collaboration between NextofKin Creatives (NOK) and ChopValue unveils an exhibition centred around creative interpretation of used disposable chopsticks into a collection of wooden mini toys that give second life to an easily disposable object. Creating awareness about ChopValue movement, including collecting chopsticks – ‘urban farming’, and crowdsourcing, the designs produced for the exhibition will also be available for purchase for the public.
#6 FI&LD
Dates: 21 September 2023 – 1 October 2023
Location: : LASALLE College of the Arts City Court
Admission: Free with registration
The specially commissioned interactive exhibition curated by Ong Ker-Shing and Joshua Comaroff of Lekker Architects features some of the best examples in inclusive design, ranging from physical environments to graphics, products, services and experiences. As part of the exhibition, curators will also unveil a new game that encapsulates the concept of inclusive design with rules as principles for inclusive creative practice. For this Lekker Architects has collaborated with students from LASALLE College of the Arts, The National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture and Yale-NUS College.
#7 Singapore Interior Design Festival (SIDFEST)
Dates: 23 September 2023 – 7 October 2023
Location: GR.iD Mall
Admission: Free
This year’s SIDFest theme, “Love for Design, Embracing Sustainability”, reflects the idea that design is not just about aesthetics and functionality but also about creating spaces that evoke positive emotions and experiences. The annual festival by the Society of Interior Designers, Singapore celebrates all things design and includes inspirational showcases, showroom tours and community-centred activities for professionals and the public.
#8 FIND – Design Fair Asia
Dates: 21 September 2023 – 23 September 2023
Location: Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre
Admission: Free with registration by 20 September 2023. For onsite registration, an admission fee of SGD 39 will apply.
Back for its second edition, the fair offers a chance to meet international thought leaders and talented craftspeople, as well as attend masterclasses and see unique installations in a diverse and engaging setting at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.
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