Computer Arts

Culture spring 2017

computerarts.creativebloq.com

E

very year Design Indaba

takes over Cape Town

with an explosion of

energy that transcends disciplines

borders and cultures delivering

thought-provoking insights that

spur the audience to action.

MC’d as ever by Pentagram’s

Michael Bierut and friends the

three-day conference delivered

a fascinating blend of speakers

from graphic design architecture

fashion art furniture and more.

Based in an arts hub rather

than a convention centre Design

Indaba has a theatricality that turns

the ‘conference’ norm on its head:

for instance South African duo

Dokter and Misses kicked things

off with a trio of dancers dressed

as Bauhaus shapes.

Later London-based furniture

designer Yinka Ilori payed homage

to his African heritage by throwing

a Nigerian house party on stage

while French-born innovator Nelly

Ben Hayoun began her whimsical

tale of discovery with a Viking

warrior facing a scientist in a

boxing ring and ended with the

audience pushing her off stage

in a giant cardboard longboat.

Every day was wrapped up

by New York-based rap collective

Freestyle Love Supreme who spun

an incredible improv out of words

drawn from the audience.

Such twists on the usual

conference format set the stage

for a key theme: the link between

non-conformity and innovation.

For Tea Uglow creative director

of Google Creative Lab in Sydney

innovation is all about blurring

boundaries. She began by talking

about a personal embodiment

of that: being transgender.

She discussed various projects

including Editions at Play – which

revolutionises how we engage with

digital books – and Ghosts Toast

STOP CONFORMING

At Design Indaba Nick Carson finds an infectious spirit for challenging convention

event report: DeSIGn InDABA 2017

KEY INFO:

Location

Artscape Theatre

Centre Cape Town

http://www.designindaba.com

When

1–3 March 2017

Attendees

2600 (3600 total

including simulcasts)

Key speakers

Marina Willer Kate

Moross Giorgia

Lupi Chris Sheldrick

(what3words) Olafur

Eliasson Joe Gebbia

(Airbnb) Tea Uglow

(Google) Snøhetta