{ Converging by Emma van Leest }

Take a deep breath and put down that espresso - it may not have come across in our last design fest post, nor is it clear when flipping through the programs, but many of the design festivals' Pop Ups and/or Design for Everyone listings are a window display, a well-designed piece or two or an ‘intervention into public space’ that will take you no longer to admire than the time you spent yesterday having a heated internal debate over those shoes in the window.

Converging is a beautiful layered papercut (or scherenschnitte, great word) by Emma van Leest hanging in the window at Little Salon – on the corner of a laneway surrounded by grey concrete and the cool evening light, the warmth filtering through the layers was just gorgeous. This one took me a little longer to admire because a) I love it, and b) Little Salon has some kind of magical magnets embedded in the shelves which will not allow me to pass by. Don’t be put off by the picture in the program that looks like a scrap of that orange building-site safety mesh – Converging is definitely worth the (minor) detour off Elizabeth St down Little Collins.

Houseplay, by Little Wonder Design, is a five-piece set of a bottle and “glasses” made of porcelain moulded (I gather) from folded paper. It's on display in the foyer of the Adelphi Hotel on Flinders Lane. It’s nice, but I can’t help but think two things:

1. It would’ve been nice if the Adelphi Hotel had moved their other white ceramic vases from the table to give the display some space (Apparently the other pieces were by Little Wonder too. A poorly executed display or an ignorant viewer? You decide... )
2. The pieces do have an air of the alchoholic's brown paper bag about them.

There's an interview with John Stanislav Sadar of Little Wonder (and a pic) here on the MIDF blog.

Oasis, presented by Scapesystems, is one Pop Up that is unmissable - really – I mean, yes, it’s great, but it’s also literally unmissable if you live in Melbourne and ever travel down Swanston St.

{ Oasis by Scapesystems }

Converging by Emma van Leest
At Little Salon, 353 Little Collins Street (between Elizabeth and Queen Sts) until July 24.
You can see more of Emma's stunning work on her blog.

Houseplay by Little Wonder
At the Adelphi Hotel, 187 Flinders Lane (between Swanston and Russell Sts) until July 27

Oasis by Scapesystem
On Swanston Street near the corner of Little Bourke until July 27.

For more insight, interviews and pictures than I could possibly offer, keep an eye on the MIDF blog .

:: Kate ::

]]> http://ohwhatlarks.wordpress.com/?p=416 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:14:16 +0000 Kate http://ohwhatlarks.de.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/design-overload-in-321/

L: Decoration + Design R: Projekta_57

Is one not enough? Must Melbourne have TWO design festivals at the same time? It's like having your birthday on Christmas Eve, or trying to out-do your brother's present on Mother's Day - sometimes it would be more enjoyable for all involved if you either united to create a super-event (the combined present), or separated the two completely (only six months to wait until the next one). Our similes are impeccable, no?

In orange and black, we have the State of Design festival; in black and pink, the Melbourne International Design Festival. Different events, different speakers, different coloured fonts. Both have core programs to educate and inspire but it's the satellite events that pad the brochures and catch our eye. State of Design call them "Design for Everyone", while over at the Melb International Design Fest they're "PopUp events". Whatever they call them, they're mostly free, so we don't mind!

Here at O.W.L. we're as overwhelmed by the deluge of design events happening in the next fortnight as you are. To conteract the full-to-bursting programs which can all too often lead to either Festival Fatigue or its opposite, Festival Fear (and thus avoidance), here are our top picks from the cornucopia of design offerings.

We MUST. SEE.:

:: The Decoration + Design soft furnishings and interior products trade fair. Open to the public THIS SUNDAY from 1 to 5pm.

:: The Melbourne Design Market in the Federation Square car park THIS SUNDAY, 10am-5pm.

:: Projekta_57 at various businesses along the #57 tram route, "showcasing the design processes involved in furniture, home accessories, art and fashion production," Saturdays 19 and 26 July.

:: Circuit, "an exhibition of wearable design which considers the ongoing feat of creativity" at Milly Sleeping, 157 Elgin St, Carlton, 17-27 July

:: The 4th Australian Poster Annual exhibition of finalists at BMW Edge in Fed Square, 17-27 July

We'll hopefully see...

:: e.g. etal Jewellery Design Awards at e.g. etal, 185 Little Collins St, 16-24 July
:: Julia deVille - Prey at Eastern Market, 107 Grattan St Carlton, 16 July-3 August
:: 18 Chairs Escape (because Kate hearts bentwood chairs), at Thonet, 237 Napier St Fitzroy, 17-27 July
:: Architecture Awards - Exhibition of Entries at Urban Workshop, 50 Lonsdale St, 1-25 July
:: Houseplay (because we heart modern porcelain) at the Adelphi Hotel, 187 Flinders Lane, 17-27 July

We may walk past...
:: Vertical Garden @ Melbourne Central
:: 3 Tonne O' Space

And when things quieten down, we'll go to...
:: Design Now! National Graduates exhibition - on until 5 October, so relax!

L: Houseplay R: Prey by Julia deVille – photos courtesy the National Design Centre and State of Design

Melbourne International Design Festival homepage

State of Design Festival homepage

:: Kate and Arwen ::

bring a designsouvenir™ back from sydney!

as part of the cultural program of the 12th international design festival sydney (8-24, august, 2008),
designboom will host a group exhibition of international design professionals from around the world.
the designboom mart will take place at the city's powerhouse museum from 14 -17 august, 2008.

for the first time in australia, designboom will provide an unprecedented opportunity to meet the young avant-garde and become familiar with their work. visitors are able to buy designsouvenirs™
and limited edition pieces directly from the designers themselves.

how to participate
if you are interested in participating at this mart, please email us a few images of the objects
that you would like to bring.

criteria:
you should keep in mind that the mart is a sales exhibition, therefore you are invited to sell a small
amount of (self) produced items priced from:

$10 AUD - $100 AUD
objects should be reasonably lightweight and easy to carry.

send us your work
please email your submissions to: mail@designboom.com
subject line: 'designboom mart sydney 2008'.
emails should not exceed 1MB

Source: designboom

•••

Title
Seoul Design Festival 2008 in Milano

Subject
Designer’s HAND

Period
April 16th~21st, 2008 (6 days)
10:00~20:00

Opening Party
April 17th, 2008, 19:30~23:00

Venue
LUISA BECCARIA
Via San Carpoforo 9, Fuori Salone, Milan, Italy

Organized by
Designhouse Inc

Hosted by
Monthly

Sponsored By
MOCIE (Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy) / JEONJU LUXURY GOODS “ONN”

Special event in Housing Culture Exhibition Hall in Dogok-Dong by Hyundai.

Read more here.

•••

Täglich finden ab 10 Uhr Ausstellungsschwerpunkte zum Thema Kalligrafie, Illustration und Arbeiten der NDU Studenten statt. Ich selbst werde am warscheinlich 3. April vor Ort sein.

Details siehe Einladung New Design Festival

Das Plakat des Festivals ist ein Auszug meiner Diplomarbeit 2007, einer Illustrations-Sammlung namens Decoy Ducks (Teile davon: siehe Portfolio Missa). Alle 35 Decoy Ducks werden dort vielleicht auch in Form von 2 echt fetten Plakaten ausgestellt.