With only one month left to go, the Helsinki Design Week recently published their 2016 programme. The design festival breaks its record by offering more than 250 events from September 1 to 11 under theme ‘Better’.
During previous years, HDW has occupied empty buildings with its exhibitions and events. This year, however, we go where people are: to the streets and parks and to the stores and galleries.
The main event, a never before seen series of city installations take over the city centre. HDW HOP presents 12 works from individual designers, collectives and students. They include Finnish and international makers who have been given the freedom to brainstorm ways to regenerate the city with design.
Design Market, a perennial favourite, takes over the Merikaapelihalli space at the Cable Factory on 3 and 4 September. The largest outlet event in the Nordics attracts circa 200 vendors and 25,000 visitors each year. This year’s event will feature a fashion show and Print Market supply store.
New Market, a new market place, offers early adopters an opportunity to check out completely new kind of design products. Playful launch and sales event established by Helsinki Design Week and Finlayson opens next to extremely popular Design Market. People can move from one event to the next by grabbing the colourful rope bus pulled by a bus driver. Products selected for the New Market are curated by designer Sebastian Jansson.
Design Diplomacy discussions are new in the programme, opening the doors of 10 foreign embassies to the public. The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Slovakia are among the participating countries. Speakers include MAK Director Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Spanish designer Martí Guixé and Danish Design Award winner Morten Grønning Nielsen.
More details about the full programme can be found on the official website of Helsinki Design Week.
