A truly international occasion
From opening day to the final evening, the event drew many big names in the design world. British interior designer Ab Rogers, famous for his reform design of the Tate Modern in London, journeyed to Beijing for the event, as did Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana, designers of the famous Favela Chair. Italian architect Ico Migliore, who won the Compasso d'Oro award for his design project "Look of the City" for the 2006 Turin Winter Games, even made a pilgrimage to see what's hot in Beijing.
On Friday, a special series of creative lectures and a 3D concert were held at 751 D-Park, drawing famous names like German designer Daniel Augusiak and American architects Ricky Hehle and Mike Tunkey. The "Pecha Kucha" model, in which each lecturer is allowed 20 PowerPoint slides and 20 seconds for each slide, was a crowd favorite.
Zeng Hui, the deputy director of the Beijing Design Week committee told Beijing Television (BTV) that the international event offered a chance for domestic designers to learn about the ideas of their international counterparts as well as an opportunity for foreign designers and organizations to get to know the Chinese market.
Art critic Fang Zhenning told The Beijing News that this year's event outshone last year's in terms of the quality of project spaces. Through the event, organizers successfully attracted figures from the international art world and drew global attention, but Fang noted that there is still a long way to go before they make the Chinese capital the frontrunner in the art world. For Beijing to compete with international art and cultural centers like London, New York and Paris, local artists need to make original creations that can lead creative trends, he said.
A platform for the future
Although the 2012 Beijing Design Week has come to an end, many experts believe that it will have a lasting effect on the design world. One key factor in the event's impact on the future of design is its trade service platform, with the slogan "Let design be the best business."
Sun Qun, another deputy director of the Beijing Design Week committee, told BTV that this year's market activity was created to help build international communication and business in the global design industry.
As many who participated in the trading platform came from abroad, the process was overseen by Beijing customs, allowing foreign brands to enjoy fast distribution channels and favorable tax policies.
Zeng also told The Beijing News that the trade platform of Beijing Design Week also provided services to authenticate and protect the copyright of designs.
"This provides a good foundation for the design marketplace," said Zeng.
Source: Global Times
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