EYESHENZHEN  /  News  /  Features  /  

SZ Design Week to kick off Friday

Writer: Zhang Yu  | Editor: Jane Chen  | From:  | Updated: 2018-04-18

Themed “Possibilities of Design,” Shenzhen Design Week (SZDW) is back this April, aiming to continue the discussion on the relationship between design and industry, as well as design and social life.

From Friday to April 30, this year’s design week will host a series of spectacular exhibitions and forums, bringing world-class international designers and local designers together by displaying their excellent works.

For the very first time, SZDW is introducing the concept, “guest of honor country.” Italy, a country fused with fashion and history, will be the guest of honor this year. To this end, SZDW will host the Italian pavilion, which will showcase the works of a legion of young and promising Italian designers.

Themed “From micro to macro: Italian designers in South China,” the pavilion will take the form of an installation from Friday to May 4 at the Design Society | Sea World Culture and Arts Center.

In addition, next Sunday will be “Italy Day” of the design week. On the day, activities will be held to interpret avant-garde design works at the Italian pavilion. Well-acclaimed Italian design schools, including Nuova Accademia di Belle Milano, will also participate in SZDW.

This year’s design week will have two major exhibition venues, namely the Design Society | Sea World Culture and Arts Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition. The themed exhibition will be held at the latter, where 15 groups of designers or teams from 10 countries will focus their eyes on different corners of the world and present the changes that design could possibly bring to the future of those societies through their latest practices and explorations.

The award ceremony of Shenzhen Global Design Award, which the organizers envision becoming the “Oscars” of the design world, will be held Sunday evening.

Vying for the cash prize of US$200,000, a total of 1,014 pieces from 12 countries and regions have participated in this year’s selection. It is worth mentioning that among all of the entries from China, Shenzhen contestants lead the way with 305 entries.

The other much-anticipated highlights of this year’s SZDW include a design exhibition of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a special Chinese design forum dedicated to the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, and the AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) China Exhibition.