Singapore Design Week (SDW) – one of Asia’s premier design festivals – celebrated its sixth edition with a robust line-up of programmes. Held till 17 March 2019, SDW 2019 highlighted how good design impacts the economy, environment, society, and culture.
Held at the National Design Centre (NDC) and various locations island-wide, SDW included over 80 programmes by more than 70 partners that brought attention to the impact and value of design in everyday living.
SingaPlural 2019
The first day of SDW 2019 also saw the launch of its first programme on the list – SingaPlural 2019. A strong advocate for collaborations between brands and creatives, SingaPlural encouraged innovation through test-bedding of ideas, and uncovered possibilities through pushing boundaries. Themed “Unnatural Phenomena”, SingaPlural 2019 drew on evolution in nature to inspire innovation in design.
Here are some of the highlights of SingaPlural 2019:
Bo(u)lder
Bo(u)lder is a sculpture involving illusion and laminates. The piece aimed to create an illusion of stone at first glance – gradually transforming its perception into something else as one observes closer. Bo(u)lder is a symbolic step in transforming the general presumption of what laminates are.
Enjoy The Silence
Ever wondered why are our ears shaped the way they are? The folds and undulations of our ear help to channel and modulate sound, and thus enhance how we hear and sense the world. Enjoy The Silence explored this intimate link between form and function. It is a sculptural acoustic installation that melds complex geometry and sound absorbing material to create an unnatural quiet zone within a crowded space.
Renaturation
All things evolve to respond to contextual conditions in which they exist. The Renaturation exhibit discussed the ideas of evolution, taking inspiration from the process of cell formation and division, also known as cytokinesis. Renaturation stood out as a dynamic piece which will evolve over the course of SingaPlural 2019; it will be growing, moving and transforming over time.
Autumn
Inspired by the season of harvest, guests were transported to a perfect glorious autumn morning. The cool breeze tickled our hair, and embraced our skin as the fan picked up speed; the sound of crisp brown leaves waltzing through the air became apparent as pinwheels began to dance in the wind. The experience was further elevated through the Virtual Reality (VR) goggles, which let you witness the beautiful sight of warm sunlight cascading through the autumn leaves, painting everything golden. It is truly a wholly immersive installation that ignited the senses!
For the full list of programmes that happened at SDW 2019, visit the official website at https://www.designsingapore.org/sdw/events/2019
Photos by Goh Jing Wen of the DANAMIC team.
