Cover The theme for this year's Singapore Design Week comes from the motto of DesignSingapore Council, 'Better by Design'. (Image: Courtesy of DesignSingapore Council)
The theme for this year's Singapore Design Week comes from the motto of DesignSingapore Council, 'Better by Design'. (Image: Courtesy of DesignSingapore Council)
1 / 1
Singapore Design Week 2023 is back from 21 September to October 1 to celebrate the ways we can be “Better by Design”. With over 80 events listed, we give you the rundown on the main activities to catch at Asia's premier design festival
Arguably one of the most hotly anticipated events among the Singapore design community, the Singapore Design Week 2023 is back again from 21 September to 1 October. An incredible showcase of Singapore’s distinctive brand of creativity, it is Asia’s premier annual design festival organised by DesignSingapore Council.
In commemoration of Dsg’s 20th anniversary, SDW 2023 brings to life DesignSingapore Council’s motto, Better by Design, as the theme for this special edition of the festival. “Singapore design embodies a universal attitude–the desire to always seek to make lives better using design,” says Madeleine Ho, the festival director of Singapore Design Week 2023. “The motto ‘Better by Design’ reflects DesignSingapore Council’s commitment to champion design and creativity that helps us to meet complex challenges and shape a better future.”
The 11-day festival features a jam-packed schedule of more than 80 ground-up events ranging from exhibitions, talks and panel discussions to workshops, tours and retail pop-ups all across the city. Here, we share some of the key events to look out for at Singapore Design Week.
Read more: Milan Design Week 2023: 5 Asian designers to know and their newest furniture collections
1. Festival Commission
Clockwise from top left: Jackson Tan, co-founder and creative director of Black; Ong Ker-Shing and Joshua Comaroff, co-founders of Lekker Architects; Pann Lim, co-founder and creative director of Kinetic Singapore. (Photography: Courtesy of respective individuals)
1 / 2
With three specially commissioned experiential installations, Singapore Design Week 2023 will bring the Bras Basah.Bugis arts, heritage and design district to life and showcase the best of Singapore’s innovative design solutions.
The festival commissions showcase how Singapore can truly be ‘Better by Design, inviting festival-goers to reflect on the key themes of Innovation, Sustainability, and Inclusivity through the three installations respectively: the Playground of Possibilities by Jackson Tan of Black at the National Design Centre; School of Tomorrow by Pann Lim of Kinetic at the Selegie Arts Centre, and FI&LD by Ong Ker-Shing and Joshua Comaroff of Lekker Architects at Laselle College of the Arts.
2. Design Futures Forum
Clockwise from top left: Shigeru Ban; Dr Ming Tan; Tamsin Greulich-Smith; Lee Poh Wah; Dr Deb Goswami; Prasoon Kumar. (Photography: Courtesy of respective individuals)
1 / 2
The Design Futures Forum is a special-edition event commemorating the past two decades of the Dsg’s work in advancing the design scene in Singapore. Featuring renowned speakers from Singapore and worldwide, the forum will address three critical areas: the future of sustainability, emerging technology, and care.
Held on 25 September at the Drama Centre Theatre, each segment of the Design Futures Forum will showcase the embodiment of Singapore design in a global context, rooted in creative purpose and driven by positive impact. Some of the distinguished speakers include Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, Prasoon Kumar, co-founder and CEO of BillionBricks, Dr Deb Goswami, a structured and generative AI technologist for developer programs at Nvidia, and Lee Poh Wah, CEO of the Lien Foundation.
3. Find - Design Fair Asia
Above Find - Design Fair Asia will run from 21–23 September at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre. (Image: Courtesy of Find - Design Fair Asia)
Find - Design Fair Asia will run from 21–23 September at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre. (Image: Courtesy of Find - Design Fair Asia)
1 / 1
Returning for the second time after a roaring success last year, Find - Design Fair Asia is an anchor event of Singapore Design Week and will be held from 21–23 September. Organised by Fiera Milano and Dmg events, Find - Design Fair Asia is Asia’s largest furniture, interiors, and design fair, and will gather a curated selection of more than 350 international brands at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.
This year, Find - Design Fair Asia has collaborated with the Italian Embassy in Singapore to feature a unique exhibition titled “Italia Geniale”, a collection created by ADI (Association for Industrial Design) to showcase Italian design icons, with the support of the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Emerge @ Find
Clockwise from top left: Stamping Chairs by THINKK Studio of Thailand; wall mounted décor by Denny R Priyatna, AIEVL Design Studio of Indonesia; and Lớp Lamps by Thomas Vincent, Bang of Vietnam (Photography: Courtesy of THINKK Studio, AIEVL Design Studio and Bang.)
1 / 2
As part of the larger Find - Design Fair Asia, Emerge @ Find is a showcase of Southeast Asian design talent featuring works by more than 50 emerging and established designers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Curated by Suzy Annetta of Design Anthology, this year's Emerge @ Find exhibition follows the theme of “Craft + Industry: Man + Machine”.
Some of the designers showcasing their work include Karyn Lim of Studio Karyn Lim, Khoo V-Ho and Giselle Khoo of Dad’s Wood, Chini Lichangco of Chini Studio, and Charnon Nakornsang of Nakornsang Studio.
5. Future Impact: Homecoming Showcase
Above Future Impact: Homecoming will be exhibited at the National Design Centre from 20 September to 1 October (Image: Courtesy of DesignSingapore Council)
Future Impact: Homecoming will be exhibited at the National Design Centre from 20 September to 1 October (Image: Courtesy of DesignSingapore Council)
1 / 1
Missed out on attending the Milan Design Week earlier this year? In this pop-up exhibition at the National Design Centre, six of Singapore’s most forward-thinking design talents will showcase some of their works that were presented at the Milan Design Week in April.
Titled Future Impact: Homecoming, the exhibition is curated by Tony Chambers and Maria Cristina Didero and will feature the works of Singapore-based designers Tiffany Loy, Nathan Yong, Forest & Whale, Viewport Studio, Gabriel Tan, and Studio Juju. “This homecoming showcase will further project Singapore as an innovative design hub by highlighting the impactful and future-focused work of six of the most talented Singaporean designers,” says Chambers.
