Cover Opening ceremony of KODW 2024 (Photo: courtesy KODW)
Opening ceremony of KODW 2024 (Photo: courtesy KODW)
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The programming at the annual event explored a range of topics, from AI in design to architecture and built environments in a rapidly transforming industry
Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) took place from June 25-27 and saw leaders across creative industries come together to discuss the future of design.
Organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), Hong Kong Design Institute and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design as co-organisers, the event’s lead sponsor is government organisation Create Hong Kong (CreateHK). This year, the organisers partnered with France as the official partner country.
The event consisted of over 30 sessions of forums, networking events, workshops and masterclasses. With the theme Inter/Section: Crafting Tomorrow’s Design, the event’s goals were to facilitate the exchange of ideas in an industry where cross disciplinary activity is increasingly the norm. Experts took to the panels to discuss a variety of topics—think “Communication Design” and “AI to Architecture and Built Environment”. Many agreed that as barriers between architecture, art and technology constantly shift, so does the function and definition of design.
Take a look at five speakers at the event—and what they said—that especially caught our eye.
Alan Chan, founder and creative director, Alan Chan Design Company
Designer extraordinare Alan Chan’s masterclass, Tradition, Innovation and Beyond: Journey to the Inter/Section, saw him reveal the multitude of influences, both cultural and creative, that contribute to his “Oriental Passion, Western Harmony” aesthetic and philosophy. It bridges various binaries, like east and west, and heritage versus technology.
Nathalie Crinière, CEO, Agence NC
Trained in interior architecture and industrial design and renowned for her projects and brand collaborations, Nathalie Crinière has worked with brands like Dior and Cartier.
In her solo lecture, Scenography Unveiled: The Art of Inter/Section, Crinière spoke about literally setting the stage—with scenography and exhibition design; and her work on contemporary and historic exhibitions, like Fashion Folklore at the Mucem in Marseille in 2023. She also shared her thoughts on how instrumental art and design can be in effective storytelling.
Above Nathalie Crinière giving her keynote speech (Photo: courtesy KODW)
Nathalie Crinière giving her keynote speech (Photo: courtesy KODW)
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Shirley Surya, curator, design and architecture, M+
Shirley Surya is curator, design and architecture, at M+, Hong Kong, and co-curator of the museum’s IM Pei retrospective, which opened last week at M+.
Surya has been integral in shaping M+’s collection, as well as in documenting and using the history of design in Hong Kong and the region, with the goal to better understand Asia’s current cultural context.
For her lecture, Architecture In-Situ: Curating IM Pei: Life Is Architecture, Surya explains how building an exhibition around IM Pei, one of the most prolific architects of our time, reveals how the relationship between architecture and its context is formed—and how it comes to define the identities of cities and nations.
Penelope Luk, creative director and founder, Crafts on Peel
Penelope Luk is the founder of Crafts on Peel, a charitable foundation that is also an exhibition space that is dedicated to the revival and reinterpretation of heritage craft forms in a way that contributes to the sustainability of techniques and traditions from Hong Kong and the region.
Luk, a vocal advocate of heritage preservation, champions this cause through her work in exhibition curation, craft research and hosting craftsmen and artist residences. She had been responsible for the restoration and transformation of the Crafts on Peel space—it is located on 11 Peel Street in Central, a heritage site.
She was a co-panellist in Preserving Craftsmanship: A “Glocal” Perspective, where she highlighted the significance of preserving local traditions as a means to sustain knowledge and the livelihoods of those who hold these fast vanishing skills.
Above Penelope Luk and Olivier Segura at their panel, Preserving Craftsmanship: A "Glocal" Perspective, moderated by Elaine Ng (Photo: courtesy of KODW)
Penelope Luk and Olivier Segura at their panel, Preserving Craftsmanship: A "Glocal" Perspective, moderated by Elaine Ng (Photo: courtesy of KODW)
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Dong Gong, founder and design principal, Vector Architects
Among numerous titles and roles he holds, Dong Gong is best known as an accomplished architect and the founder of Vector Architects.
In his forum keynote speech, New Into Old, he revealed his take on built environments in the context of developing Chinese cities, and drew from his experience with renovation projects, revealing how to reach a structural harmony in reconciling the old with the new. His firm is responsible for a variety of buildings in mainland China, including Changjiang Art Museum, Seashore Chapel and Library and the Yangshuo Sugarhouse.
Vector Architects was also invited to participate in the 2018 “Freespace” Venice Biennale, and at exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as Moma.
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