Singapore Design Week 2024 lines up more than 80 events curated around the theme of "People of Design"

SINGAPORE, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore Design Week (SDW) returns this year from 26 September to 6 October in an 11-day celebration of Singapore's distinctive brand of design and creativity.

Organised by DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), Asia's premier festival will traverse the city-state with a rich and thought-provoking programme curated around this year's theme "People of Design". It will celebrate the everyday visionaries that shape our society through design, united by their collective aspiration to enhance how we experience life.

Refreshed content aligned to festival pillars

Anchored by a suite of engaging key programmes that reflect the festival's three defining pillars: Design Futures, Design Marketplace and Design Impact, Dsg is working closely with leading industry experts to inform, intrigue and inspire at this year's SDW.

Design Futures will explore the future of design through Singapore's forward-looking lens, aiming to prototype a better future for us all. Upholding this pillar is SDW's flagship Design Futures Forum, which returns with an expanded format that will be held across two days. Speakers from diverse fields will respond to this year's theme, 'Designing Our Collective Future'. The theme emphasises design's role and impact in emerging technologies, sustainability, and care – vital areas for shaping shared and resilient futures for all.

Design Marketplace will unite lifestyle trends from around the world with the fast-growing design community of the Southeast Asia region. FIND – Design Fair Asia, Asia's largest design trade fair, presents its third edition at Marina Bay Sands from 26 to 28 September 2024. 

In addition, EMERGE @ FIND, Dsg's talent showcase dedicated to Southeast Asian contemporary design, curated by Suzy Annetta of Design Anthology, returns with the theme of "These Precious Things". The curatorial provocation opens up a critical examination of the concept of value in an era of excess and environmental urgency as over 50 emerging and established designers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam present new works that explore ideas of both internal and external value.

Design Impact will inspire with innovative and impactful design solutions that tackle society's biggest questions. The Future Impact 2: Homecoming Showcase is a key event of this pillar. It debuted at Milan Design Week 2024 featuring seven designers. The much-anticipated return to local shores will see the exhibition run for eight weeks at the Asian Civilisations Museum with some designers refreshing their pieces for this special return show.

Expanded footprint of design districts

Following a successful introduction last year, this year's design districts will span a greater area within Singapore's dynamic districts of Bras Basah.Bugis, Orchard and Marina. Each district will present special commissions, exhibitions, experiential activations, installations, workshops and more, reflecting the individual charm and character of the local community.

Continuing Dsg's ongoing efforts to champion homegrown talent, the three design districts will also see a network of creatives, communities, and partners collaborating to present Singapore's distinctive brand of creativity.

Bras Basah.Bugis Design District

A collective, led by internationally acclaimed designer, educator, and three-time recipient of the President*s Design Award, Hans Tan, and comprising Singapore designers such as Atelier HOKO, Forest & Whale and gideon-jamie, will be shaking up Bras Basah.Bugis Design District, Singapore's arts, heritage, and design precinct with their creativity.

Tan's curatorial vision for the People of Design Showcase Series will see commissioned designers and studios reimagine everyday activities – eating, sleeping, reading, commuting, and more – through a series of specially created site-specific, experiential installations shaped to offer fresh perspectives across multiple venues.

Marina Design District

This year, the expanded Marina Design District will feature Marina Central for the first time, alongside the iconic Marina Bay area. Helming curatorial duties at Marina Central is Nathan Yong, founder of the eponymous multidisciplinary studio. As one of Singapore's most recognised and awarded designers, Yong will present Neufolk: Bridging Tradition and Future in Design, a series of activations which merges the collective spirit of communities with the future-thinking vision of Singaporean design.

Orchard Design District

Over at Orchard Road, visitors can look forward to Re-Route: Orchard (RR:OR) curated by Singapore-based inter-disciplinary group PLUS Collaboratives. Taking the theme of "Be Here Now", it brings an investigative design lens to enhance visitor experience of Singapore's famed shopping belt. Through curated interventions and design installations, visitors are invited to discover spots along this iconic street and delve into the continual evolution of the district's character.

City-wide festivities

This year, Dsg will present two Friday Late events; expect after-hours programming on 27 September across the Bras Basah.Bugis design district and on 4 October at Marina Central. SDW 2024 will also feature over 70 ground-up events across the island from the design community, ranging from exhibitions, talks and panel discussions to workshops, tours and retail pop-up experiences.

Press Assets: High-res images are available for download HERE.

Singapore Design Week 2024
26 September to 6 October 2024      
sdw.sg
#SDWSG24 #SingaporeDesignWeek           

About Singapore Design Week      

One of Asia's premier design festivals, Singapore Design Week (SDW) celebrates Singapore's distinctive brand of creativity, exploring design through three defining festival pillars: Design Futures (the design of the future and the future of design), Design Marketplace (lifestyle trends with a spotlight on Southeast Asia) and Design Impact (innovative solutions for a better world). Organised by DesignSingapore Council, SDW is a celebration of creativity and innovation, championing thought leadership and showcasing the best of design from Singapore and beyond.
sdw.sg

About the DesignSingapore Council

The DesignSingapore Council's (Dsg's) vision is for Singapore to be an innovation-driven economy and a loveable city by design. As the national agency that promotes design, our mission is to develop the design sector, help Singapore use design for innovation and growth, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. Dsg is a subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
designsingapore.org