Sydney Design 05
World-famous design superstars will rub shoulders with talented newcomers at the 16-day Sydney Design 05 Festival.
More than 50 events are planned in 24 different venues from the city to Parramatta, aimed at showcasing the history, current climate and future of innovative design.
As well as broader knowledge, the festival will also give keen buyers a chance to pick up some design bargains, especially this weekend at the Young Blood: Designers Market.
Australian fashion, furniture, jewellery, graphic, product, landscape and lighting designers will present their wares in the Powerhouse Museum’s level 3 courtyard on Saturday 13 August from 8am to 5pm.
The following Wednesday night, James O’Loghlin will host Hypothetical Sydney. Using 3D modelling tools, a panel of experts will present their visions of Sydney’s urban design future, asking questions like, If they put a Guggenheim in Parramatta, would anyone come? Bookings are essential and tickets cost $55/ $35. Email [email protected] to book.
Nell Schofield’s monthly design forums at d factory have been running for a year, and to mark Sydney Design 05 she’ll be talking to Mambo’s creative director Nick Morley about creating a design empire from a sport like surfing. The d factory events (pictured) are free and held in the Powerhouse Museum’s level 3 courtyard. Surfin’ Sydney is happening on Thursday 11 August from 6pm to 8:30pm.
One of the highlights of Sydney Design 05 will be the travelling exhibition of English designer William Morris’s furnishing patterns.
Morris and Co will feature more than 100 furniture pieces, tapestries, wallpaper, embroideries and tiles from the 1880s and 1890s. Morris was considered the most influential British interior designer of his time, and was commissioned to design rooms in St James’s Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum. He also created whole homes for rich Adelaide families, and this exhibition comes from the Art Gallery of South Australia.
The Art Gallery of South Australia’s Christopher Menz -“ considered the nation’s leading expert on Morris designs -“ will host a special event at the Powerhouse Museum on Saturday 20 August. Menz will talk about Morris’s wholistic approach to design. Tickets to the talk are limited. Email [email protected] for more information.
Sydney Design 05 is presented by the Powerhouse Museum, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Design Institute of Australia, Australian Design Awards, Australian Graphic Design Association and the Interior Design Educators Association. The festival runs until Sunday 21 August. Full details are available online at the Sydney Design website
