Lisbon welcomes Design Indaba

9 Sep 2009

LISBON, PORTUGAL: Design Indaba is presenting a creative case study of South Africa in both exhibition and debate format as guests of ExperimentaDesign Lisbon in Portugal, 9 September - 8 November 2009. As part of the Open Talk debates, running 9-13 September, Design Indaba founder and host Ravi Naidoo will examine what the world can learn from SA's 14-year revolution; designers Gaby de Abreu (Switch), Nathan Reddy (Grid) and Nkhensani Nkosi (Stoned Cherrie) will join him on the panel.

ExperimentaDesign is an international biennale of design, architecture and contemporary culture held annually in Lisbon and Amsterdam, with different programmes. Comprising a month's worth of exhibitions, urban interventions, debates and lectures, the theme for the 2009 Lisbon edition is ‘It's about time.'

Reads the biennale statement, “As contemporary life accelerates non-stop, communication is real-time, decisions are split-second and problem solving relies on quick fixes rather than sustainable solutions. In a world on the brink of environmental and financial collapse, there is a pressing need to take action ¬ but do we think before we act? It's about time to concentrate on mature reflection and persistent change.”

First presenting the case study of South Africa 2.0, Naidoo will then open the conversation to the floor and lead the discussion beyond ‘local' to engage with the emerging global challenges, including environmental, social and economic insecurity. “It's time for World 2.0,” says Naidoo, defining the notion as “an over-arching movement to redesign the world from the bottom up.”

As creative director of Switch, De Abreu is widely recognised for designing the logo for the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first time FIFA has allowed the host country to design its own logo.

Graphic design and branding specialist Reddy has been instrumental in the creative formation of SA's fledgling democracy through his work on popular brands such as Virgin Mobile and Axe, as well as the critically acclaimed Apartheid Museum.

Nkosi is known for her Stoned Cherrie fashion label and her infamous Steve Biko T-shirts.

Second platform

The second platform where Design Indaba will be participating is in the Timeless exhibition, 11 September - 8 November. A selection of legends and award finalists from the original South project, it will contain examples of design brought about by SA's unique society and the varied challenges presented by socio-economic issues such as housing, HIV and access to water where less is the reality and design can be used to create a better future.

This exhibition was launched at Design Indaba Expo earlier this year and represents a snapshot of SA's evolving creativity since democracy in 1994.